Jaune Arc: The Force Unleashed
by ThePhantomScribe
Summary: Take an Aura, any Aura. Now add the auras of every living organism to it. That gives you a lot of Aura. Now give someone the ability to control that Aura. That gives you The Force. Now make The Force a Semblance. That gives you a pretty nice Semblance. Now give that Semblance to a certain Jaune Arc. That gives you a fairly interesting story. Will he be Jedi.. Or Sith? First POV fic
1. The Awakening

**_The Awakening_**

* * *

"It's not about why. It's about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both."

Somewhere amid the dense canopy of the Emerald Forest, Pyrrha Nikos gives her somewhat confounded companion his first true lesson at Beacon. Aura. She feels a tug of compassion as she notices the small seeping gash on the side of his face beginning to trickle his rouge life-force - which by now she admits was partly her fault - and therefore, she already knows what she's about to do.

It's technically forbidden, at least for students, as the process can be very straining on the benefactor's side... but Jaune is different. She's sure of it. So Pyrrha decides on it once and for all: she will unlock the unfanthomable aura of Jaune Arc.

But not without a short lecture first.

"By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting."

To this, Jaune, who has seemed pretty lost up till this point, finally seems to reach an epiphany. Pyrrha smiles in anticipation as his eyes widen and he's about to share his new-found understanding with his new partner.

"So... It's like a force field!"

The Spartan, somewhat taken aback by his peculiar assessment of aura, only holds back a light chuckle and smiles warmly at his revelation.

"Yes, if you want to look at it that way," and now walking up to him, she places her hand on the side of his head before continuing, "Now, close your eyes and concentrate."

"Uhh... okay."

Pyrrha smiles and closes her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stand there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.

The words seem to come without warning, the champion's voice audible without speaking and the knight's mind understanding without hearing.

_For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. _

Pyrrha now places her other hand on his chest before completing the process_, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee._

At this point, she stops flowing red and hunches over in exhaustion, a still-glowing Jaune putting his hand on her shoulder in concern.

"Pyrrha?"

"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own," Pyrrha states with increasing satisfaction as she straightens up, grinning as she watches the fruits of her labor take effect when Jaune's scratch closes up and vanishes, "And you have a lot of it."

"Wow," is all the blonde knight can say as he looks at his glowing hands with a goofy smile before they finally go back to normal.

Of course, white glow is replaced with red blush when a soft feminine hand takes a hold of his own, a light tug bringing his attention to his recovered teammate as she begins leading him further into the forest with contagious mirth.

"Come on, I believe we have yet to find our relic!"

* * *

_Jaune_

Alright, I'm not gonna lie. I'm an Average Joe.

I mean, yeah, my family is like, a bunch of really famous warriors and heroes with a renowned history as Hunters and Huntresses... oh, and not to mention that the weapon I carry is supposedly some 'unbreakable marvel of weaponry' with hidden secrets that not even my dad and his dad and the dad before him have ever really been able to figure out.

Which pretty much means it's just a sword and shield. Which is why I have it.

And yeah, my great-great-grandad was the one to forge it with his secret methods and used it to fight in the war and stuff, but he never got the chance to teach his kids about it before they came of age. But anyways, I digress.

Like I was saying, I'm just a normal guy. Unlike all the greats before me. The only reason why I'm even here right now is because I forged my transcripts. That's right, _forged_ them. Thank my tech-savvy older sister for that. One of seven.

Now you can see why I wanted to leave home so badly.

But now I'm at this school hunting monsters I've only ever seen on the news with a girl who must be the most charitable person on Remnant if she's giving me the time of day. I mean... _come on_, she's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box! What, does she actually think I'm special? Hah! _That'll_ be the day...

Though by the way this day is going so far and by how hard I'm shrieking, I think Pyrrha will come to agree with my self-depreciation soon enough.

"Help! Waaaaah! Why?! Pyrrha! Heeeeelp!" _Why did I ever think this was a good idea!?_ "Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!"

It's not manly. I admit that. But gosh darn it, I'm manly enough to know when I need help!

"Do something!"

"Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let-" she just _had_ to say that, the universal line of irony when one is clutching for dear life at the stinger of a Grimm that I'm pretty sure goes by the name of Death Stalker.

And you guessed it. Before she can even finish, the stinkin' oversized bug whips me away! I can barely hear her receding voice between the sounds of rushing wind and my own yelling as I fly through the air.

"...go."

I finally stop screaming, mostly because after one goes airborne for more than five seconds, that first pang of fear kinda just melts away into the thrill of the moment... And that's when I noticed it.

You know how I was glowing when Pyrrha did that unlocky thingy with my aura? Well, I start glowing again, really white this time, and suddenly everything seems to change. I feel different... better, like a million lien! But I don't have much time to think about that before I suddenly twitch my body around in midair as I sense an approaching person somewhere above me. I know it's Ruby before I even see her.

Wait, how'd I know that-?

"Heads UUUUUP!"

"WAAAH!"

I close my eyes, and the next moment, I see Ruby and I standing on the branch of a tree above some raggedy ol' temple where some girl keeps singing 'I'm queen of the cas-tle!~'

"Huh. Nice catch, Ruby!" I state as I check myself and notice everything is still in one piece. Thank Monty!

But Ruby doesn't seem like she's on the same page, "_Me!?_ Jaune, _you're_ the one who caught me in midair and twirled down to this tree like some pro-Parkour Master! Frankly, I didn't know you had in in you..."

Huh? I deadpan at her for a moment until I can't hold it any longer.

"Pffft! HAH! Good one, Ruby! Yeah _right_, I'm the guy who broke my arm jumping off the merry-go-round when I was younger-"

She cocks her head to one side adorably, obviously not buying what I'm saying.

"-and it wasn't even _moving!_" sigh... true story.

Ruby merely chuckles to herself before responding, "Heh, if you say so, Jaune..."

She then jumps off the branch and rushes over to who I soon realize is her sister, judging by all the excited talking which soon takes place. Even that ditzy singing girl joins in by shouting her own name... Nora!

I now narrow my eyes at another spot in the trees. There's that feeling again, like I know something's about to happe- oh, and here comes Pyrrha!

"Jaune!"

"Pyrrha!" I wave back cheerfully from my tree branch until I see the giant Death Stalker still hot on her heels and uprooting entire trees as it chases after her. That's not good.

I'm about to jump down to try and help her... or to be more precise, to get the other girls to join me in helping her... when I get that weird sense again!

"Seriously, it's like I'm feeling a presence I haven't felt since-"

I stop shouting at myself as something along the lines of instinct tells me that it's Weiss. And that she's falling! I look up and immediately realize my fear is coming true, so I do what any knight would do for a falling damsel in distress: jump after her! After all, if Ruby was right, this should be easy!

I leap off the branch and time seems to slow down as I catch my precious Snow Angel in my arms. Perfect!

"Just... dropping in?" Nailed it! Now for the landing!

Weiss and I both look down to see the dozens of feet between me and what I would call a 'landing'. Uh-oh.

"Oh, Monty. Oh, nooooo- Oomph!"

There's something different, I felt it when I was able to catch Weiss with more coordination than I've ever had in my life. Maybe it's my aura. But if this is true, then I'm pretty sure this Parkour stuff still needs some serious work if Ruby wasn't kidding.

* * *

_Pyrrha_

Honestly, that looked extremely painful.

I noticed Jaune faceplant into the dirt before that rapier-wielding girl - Weiss, I believe - landed squarely on his back, thanking him with a mocking tone which I'll admit I did not appreciate.

"My _hero_."

"My back..." was all he could eke in reply. Poor thing!

Unfortunately, my moment of sympathy cost me, the feeling of a hardened exoskeletally-strengthened pincer making contact with my side and sending me hurdling toward the larger group of students near the ruins. That will certainly leave a mark.

"Great! The gang's all here! Now we can die together!" I heard the blonde student exclaim as I came to, but not before the one in red quipped in response.

"Not if I can help it!"

"Ruby, wait!"

I stood up to see the young hooded girl engage the Death Stalker admirably, though her efforts proved insufficient to cause the massive Grimm any true damage. But before we could rush forward to aid her, a large shadow flew overhead.

_CAW! CAW!_

"_Ruby!_"

And to our despair, a large Nevermore suddenly shot its razor-sharp feathers right at the girl! Judging by the trajectory, I knew its aim was lethally precise and that the impending impact would be fatal, but there was no time to use our weaponry to deflect it. But before I could curse my semblance for only having the ability to manipulate objects containing metal, to my surprise the deadly feather that was to tear through the poor girl changed course!

I couldn't believe my eyes, and though surely the others hadn't nocticed it, it was undeniable... even if the adjustment had been so slight that the feather had still pinned her by her cape.

As Weiss and the blonde student went to assist Ruby, I hastily turned to see who could've been the source of the manipulation - in effect, Ruby's unsung savior. And I wasn't disappointed.

I turned to see Jaune watching the scene in horror, his hand outstretched like anyone else's who'd have done anything to help their peers. But by ascertaining the residual glow on said hand, I realized that he had done more than even _he_ had realized. I rushed over to him as quick as I could while Weiss stopped the Death Stalker's advance with a sheet of ice.

"Jaune! Are you alright?"

He looked down sheepishly at his hand as it finally ceased to glow.

"I-I think so..."

"Jaune," I began softly so as not to draw attention, "did you do that?"

His eyes darted to and fro, suddenly nervous and unsure of what to say, "I-I dunno, I'm not even sure what's happening to me! Is this a side-effect of what you did to me?!"

I couldn't help a small smile at his flustered state, but these events certainly raised a few questions... "We shall see, Jaune. But do not be afraid of it... like I said, your aura is the force that protects you, and that force is your very own."

I put my hand on his shoulder as a gesture of reassurance, though I'll admit that the gesture seemed to give myself a warm, gratifying sense of security as I did so as well... definitely unexpected, but it worked. Jaune took a deep breath and smiled.

That is, until looking back up at the circling Nevermore.

"Uh, guys," he now mentioned with the group all back together, "That thing's circling back! What are we gonna do?"

Weiss was the one to answer at this point, "Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us."

And as we looked at the remaining relics in the ruins, it was Ruby who responded dutifully, "She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the Cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."

"Run and live - that's an idea I can get behind!" Jaune then stated happily with his bright smile. Some may call it goofy, but I find it refreshing - even appealing. Wait.

Alright, Pyrrha, have some self-control... he's kind and genuine, but these thoughts have no place in the initiation! But either way, I couldn't help but watch Ruby and Jaune quickly make their way toward the ruins, each one with an air of leadership which I believe we were all beginning to notice.

Hmm, I _knew_ he'd be special.

* * *

_Jaune_

Okay! So we made it to the temple without dying! Liking the plan so far!

Ugh, but now comes choosing a relic...

"Here we go!" Ruby declares cheerfully as she picks out a gold knight chess-piece before looking at me with confusion, "everything okay, Jaune?"

"U-Uh yeah," _oh why do I always have to sound so insecure!?_ "I'm just terrible when it comes to choosing between many options. Maybe I can get one like yours?"

Ruby briefly scans the remaining pedestals and pouts as she doesn't find another similar piece, "Mmm, I think I took the last one... but you have lots to choose from still!"

"Yeah, I guess I'm overthinking it... I try too hard."

"Meh," Ruby replies with a casual shrug, "Then don't think. Just feel. Do. There is no try."

"Hmm," pretty decent wisdom coming from a little girl, so I decide to do what she says.

And no sooner do I clear my head and scan the relics in front of me when I suddenly twitch and reach out for the golden rook. Weird. Whatever Pyrrha did to me, it definitely made choosing things easier! I look at Ruby and smile, which she warmly returns.

_CrCRACK!_

That's the sound of ice cracking, it won't be able to hold the Death Stalker forever.

"Time we left!" A kid with pink eyes and a matching highlight states as Ruby and I rejoin the group, which earns a response from my fellow dorky friend.

"Right," Ruby announces as she takes her place on a small rocky outcropping and waves to the others, "Let's go!"

And everyone follows her out of the forest and into another abandoned set of ruins, the only thing now between us and Beacon Cliffs being a giant ravine. And of course, the Nevermore is _still_ following us, forcing us to spread out when it passes above.

Hiding ourselves behind some of the stone blocks with our partners as it perches on a high column and caws, it's the other blonde - who I'm pretty sure is called Yang - who's the first to complain.

"Well, _that's_ great!"

Oh, and it gets worse. I turn to look behind me right on time to see the Death Stalker bursting onto the scene.

"Ah, man, _run!_"

I gotta admit, this sixth sense thing my aura's giving me is pretty darn useful. But now forced to come out of our hiding spots, the giant bird takes off for the hunt again. Though this time, the pink-eyed kid calls out to his partner to engage.

"Nora, distract it!"

Nora does exactly that, running out from her block and jumping through the feather projectiles before reaching behind her and launching several heart-topped shells from her grenade launcher which burst into pink electricity when they hit the Nevermore and cause it to retreat.

Next thing I know, we're ambushed by the Death Stalker, forced onto an old bridge that gets run through by the Nevermore like a Tonka Truck, and now we're split up.

I'm with Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Nora while the rest are on the other side with the Death Stalker! Ruby fires at the retreating Nevermore while I walk up to the edge of the broken bridge with Nora.

"Man, we gotta get over there! They need help!"

She nods in reply, "Let's do this!~"

Easier said than done, as I realize when I look down at the gaping maw of bottomless mist below me, "Yeah, but, uh... I can't make that jump."

But Nora reacts simply by smiling diabolically, laughing as she knocks me back, and turning her weapon to its full-length hammer form before jumping to the edge of the bridge. I can already sense what she's about to do... And I _don't_ like it.

"Oh, wait!" too late, she slams the hammer into the bridge and throws me through the air to the other side and all I can do is cry out, "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

Nora places one foot on the hammer and fires it off the collapsing section of bridge, launching her to slam its face right in the center of the Death Stalker's skull. She fires it just as the stinger comes down to get her, and blasts back again to avoid its reach. Well, so much for diplomacy with these things. Time for aggressive negotiations.

"We gotta move!" I call out as I get my bearings, our small quartet now rushing the Grimm as one.

I'm not sure how the girl in the black bow got back with her group, but she did. Less people to worry about on this side, at least.

The Death Stalker aims a claw at Pyrrha, but she deflects it with her shield and slashes it with her blade. The scorpion recoils and swipes at her with its other claw, but suddenly driven by whatever this new power is, I literally dash at it in a heartbeat, right on time to deflect it with my shield, sweet! The impact knocks it back so Pyrrha can leap over and attack its face.

At the same time, the pink-eyed kid runs up firing and gets on the stinger when it tries to hit him, shooting at the base between it and the tail while Nora fires more grenades at the attacking claws. Pyrrha hurls her javelin straight into one of the monster's eight eyes, making it throw the kid on the stinger to the side.

"Ren!" Nora calls out in a panic.

Ren hits the side of a stone block hard and falls to the ground, not getting back up. But somehow, _somehow_, I can sense he's still alive... I just _know_ it. I hold a hand out to Nora to stay her - we can't afford to split up against this thing.

As I turn my attention to the beast, I manage to catch that Ren's efforts may not have been in vain: the stinger is hanging limply by a few sinewy threads. My thoughts precede my words, yet Pyrrha seems to understand perfectly.

"Pyrrha!"

"Done!"

She raises the shield and hurls it like a discus, slicing the stinger off and causing it to fall into the Death Stalker's head as Pyrrha retrieves her rebounding shield. I turn to the hammer-wielder with growing anticipation.

"Nora, nail it!"

The bubbly girl readily complies, jumping on Pyrrha's shield that she offers as a boost, "Heads up, seven up!~"

Aiming her blast down to give herself a maximum lift, Nora smiles the entire way up before twirling down until her hammer slams its head into the stinger, driving the point through the Death Stalker's head and crushing the bridge beneath it.

Of course, once again, the resulting destruction launches me through the air _again._ Nora fires up and away behind us as the monster falls to its doom. Finally, I land - on my back - then Nora lands on her bottom, Pyrrha manages a crouched pose, and to our delight, even Ren walks over to us! Though, he's panting and groaning until he just collapses.

At this point, Pyrrha, Nora and I get up and turn to see the Nevermore soaring around the central structure in the middle of the ravine being peppered with gunfire.

"What are they doing?" Nora asks, tilting her head to the side as the girl in the black bow launches her weapon across two large columns to form a tight elastic line.

As I take a closer look, I can't help a smirk as I realize _exactly_ what they're doing. This idea has Ruby written all over it.

"Clever girl..."

As Pyrrha turns to look at me with a mixed expression of curiosity and amusement, Ren walks up to join us and points at Yang, who is now jumping through the air fearlessly and unleashing her salvo of ammunition into the Nevermore's mouth. We can hear her from here!

"I! Hope! You're! _Hun-! -gry!_"

But when Yang jumps off onto a nearby pillar, I notice a major flaw in the plan - the bird isn't heading toward the cliff, it's just floating stunned in midair! Ruby will never get the right angle on that slingshot if the bird isn't right in front of them! I trade worried glances with Pyrrha, who seems to notice the same issue. If they can't take it out, it'll shake it off and recover, leaving Yang on that pillar like a sitting duck without her ammo!

In my rising emotion, I suddenly realize I'm glowing again and I look back at the hovering bird of prey with an idea. Was it really me who managed to keep that feathery missile from hitting Ruby? I had to try again... it was worth a shot.

Holding both glowing hands out at the Nevermore, I push both arms out at the cliff. And then the unthinkable happens.

_CAW! CRASH!_

* * *

_Ren_

Impossible.

D-Did he just telekinetically _push_ that Nevermore into the cliff!? To be honest, I didn't write up this Jaune fellow to be much, but this definitely changes things.

Pyrrha, Nora and I can only gape at the blonde knight in shock as the glow in his hands wears off, the deed now done. We turn back to watch, with jaws still dropped, how the girl in white freezes the monster's tail in place long enough to launch her partner at the beast, the girl in red running hard and fast enough to scale the entire face of the cliff with the Nevermore in tow by its neck in the crook of her massive scythe before completely decapitating it once she reaches the top.

As the giant creature falls lifeless into the ravine, we can only stare in amazement. Well, except Nora. I know that look on her face... she's wondering how soon she'll be able to receive her next pancake fix.

"Wow..." Jaune breaks the awed silence as the hooded girl stands atop the cliff, her crimson cape and petals flowing with the wind.

Nora, now out of her pancake-withdrawal for the moment, then turns and scoffs at the blonde.

"Psh! And what a bout _you_, Jaune-Jaune! What you just did was totally awesome!~" she then pauses suddenly in a random moment of deep thought, "What's that power called again?"

"Telekinesis," Pyrrha replies with pride. That's interesting... it's like she knew.

Though I doubt those two have known each other for more than a day. Maybe something worth looking into. But now Nora gasps in excitement at Jaune, who I'm still unsure how he received the name Jaune-Jaune...

"Oooh, wait!" She begins with uncontrollable mirth, "does that mean you can control television too!?~"

"That's technokinesis," I reply with a small smirk. I'm used to this side of her, in case you didn't know by now.

"How about telegrams?"

"That's not a thing anymore."

"Telephones?"

"Technokinesis again."

"Hmm, how about thoughts? Oh I know, what am I thinking right now?"

"Nora, no one can do-"

"Umm... pancakes." Jaune now answers, to which a very large smile suddenly begins to grow on Nora's features. No way.

"You're _right!_" she then turns to me, "Renny, Jaune-Jaune can read people's minds, too!"

"Um, not exactly..." Jaune begins, earning a few curious glares from us, "I don't think I read it, I just. Sensed it, I guess."

I narrowed my eyes at him and decided to try a quick test.

"Very well, Jaune," I respond while holding a hand behind my back, "then how many fingers am I holding up behind me?"

"Four."

"And now?"

"Two."

"Now?"

"Three."

"How about now?"

"Uh... hmm, stop moving your fingers around and I'll tell you." He sensed my curveball? I stop and wait, "Much better. None. Your hand is in a fist."

He was right every time.

"Interesting," I now concede with my diagnosis completed, "Jaune, I believe your semblance is a very rare form of enhanced Aurakinesis. Only a handful of aura-wielding entities on Remnant possess it."

"Aura-who-what-now?" Jaune echoes, evidently lost. How recently did his Semblance manifest, for Monty's sake!? Doesn't he know what he can do, much less the sheer power he's capable of?

"Aurakinesis," a voice begins behind us as I turn to see the girl in the black bow land silently at the edge of our side of the cliff followed by her two peers, "the ability to manipulate the aura around any and every living organism as a force both mentally and physically. Many refer to it colloquially as simply The Force."

She turns to Jaune with a mildly impressed expression, "There aren't many who can do that. Only few even try to harness it fully, and fewer still succeed," and there, I notice her expression darken just a bit, "because some who do fall prey to the darker side of the semblance."

Jaune blinks at the foreign information, "There's a Dark side of the Force?"

"Of _course_," Weiss Schnee now butts in matter-of-factly - I'd know that emblem on her back anywhere, she's clearly the younger of the two heiresses judging by the scar - "Any dolt or dunce with a history book on Aura knows it!"

She then softens her gaze unexpectedly at the knight as she continues, "But you seem pretty harmless, and I'll admit your semblance is somewhat striking. I may have misjudged you."

"Aw shucks..." The knight bashfully replies, to which I notice Pyrrha just barely catches herself before rolling her eyes in front of everyone.

Sure, Weiss is a billionaire heiress, but I think Jaune should try elsewhere. Heh, Pyrrha might be a good start if her growing blush means anything.

"I _may_ have misjudged you," Weiss reiterates with a much sterner tone.

Case in point.

"Alright. We should clear out before something else attacks us," I mention off-handedly. Though I mean it. After that Death Stalker, I'm still exhausted.

"Good idea... Ren, right?" The blonde brawler speaks up at my direction. I nod, "and I'd hate to see what Vomit Boy does to the next bird that crosses our path, heh~"

I turn to see Jaune turn an immediate beet red.

"Don't worry," she continues teasing as she throws a play punch at his shoulder that's still strong enough to knock him off-balance, "If you take care of the next one for me, I just might have to pay you back with dinner and a movie! And if you play your cards right, I might even let you give me a nice back massage... I get the feeling you'd be really good at that!~"

She winks at him at the last part - obviously toying with the poor guy - but it's now Pyrrha who's mouth hangs slightly open in disbelief, thinking the offer to be real. I can't help a small smirk at the scene.

Hmm, aside from attending Beacon with my ever-so-active best friend Nora, I believe this will be a _fairly_ amusing year...

* * *

The two teams finally having returned to Beacon, the afternoon goes on with the christening of several first-year teams, among which are teams CRDL, RWBY and JNPR.

The silver-haired Headmaster, having seen the entirety of the day's events and already having sent copies to his office for further review, sighs lightly as he hides a small smirk with a sip of coffee beside his platinum-blonde companion on the platform.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year."

Later that night in an abandoned warehouse, a man in a bowler hat receives a call on his phone.

_'There has been a disturbance in The Force... a new player has entered the fray.'_

"Yeah, yeah, I felt it too. Caused quite a ripple, that one," the man replies as he casually twirls his cane around himself.

_'More than that!'_ The voice continues angrily, _'I'm on a separate CONTINENT and the force of its manifestation was felt even here as a massive wave!'_

"Mmm, maybe twins were born?"

_'Grr... You have much to learn, my very young apprentice. Controlling your impertinent tongue falls high on that list.'_

"So they tell me..."

_'As well as your knowledge of the Dark side. You have raw potential and force-enhanced combat abilities, but you'll need much more training if our plan is to succeed.'_

"Maybe..." The man continues with a small grimace growing on his features, "but I really do feel this plan would go a lot _smoother_ if I didn't have to follow orders from that Cinder sorceress! And don't even get me started on those little rugrats she tows around and has the gall to call henchmen!"

_'And you shall continue to do so! You play the part of errand-boy and let her orchestrate the Breach which will lead inevitably to glorious war... She is our Grievous General who will rally troops for our cause. And after you and I meet once more when the Breach has been performed, you will have your chance at her place.'_

"While _you_, of course-"

_'Shall manipulate the events in my favor and give me complete control of all four kingdoms, beginning with Vale and its accursed academy!'_

"Sounds like fun. While I'm cooped up in this _dump_. Nooobody ever lets me do _nuthin_." The man continues, evidently prodding for a certain response.

_'Very well. In the meantime, you are tasked with finding the source of the disturbance. Either convert it to the dark side, or destroy it.'_

"Finally, a decent challenge! And here I was getting bored!"

_'Don't be so excited, the source of this disturbance has enough power to change everything. Beware lest your pride becomes your demise.'_

The conversation ends, and the man angrily slams the phone down, sighing.

"That advice cuts both ways, old man," the man continues, leaning forward on his desk into the moonlight and revealing himself to be none other than Roman Torchwick, "And one day, I'll have you right where I want you, too."

He holds a cigar to his mouth and puts his symbolized lighter to the end, just as a man in a gray mask and black hood comes with a trolley. Roman holds out a collection of Lien, which he places on the table and the man takes.

"Open it."

The masked man does so with a crowbar, revealing a large amount of Dust crystals of varying colors - orange, blue, white, red, green, cyan, gold, yellow, and more. The energy propellant for Remnant's greatest arms of destruction, but nothing compared to the Dark Side of The Force. Roman picks up a blue gem in his hand and looks at the loot.

"We're gonna need more men..."

He shifts his gaze sideways at the map above the desk, showing Vale and various districts and areas of crossed-out locations, all leading into a specially-circled place. Beacon.

"Whoever you are... I'm comin for ya. And I'm gonna start with Beacon to find ya."

* * *

**A/N: And yep, RWBY and Star Wars. It has now been done, and I hope you like it! And I know the title kinda implies that this may take a bit of The Force Unleashed storyline, and it might, but not by much. It'd cause a few changes in canon (as you notice, Weiss isn't as cold to him anymore and he seems to have caught Blake's attention... Which begs the question on how she knows so much in the first place, hehe). **

**But Jaune strikes me as an excellent Revan archetype as well as a Galen Marek type. Don't know who they are? Google it :) Google is your friend.**

**Or don't. If you don't want any possible twists spoiled. But there aren't any guarantees... if I continue, it'll definitely be a mix of RWBY canon with CRDL troubles and White Fang hunting and SW story lines too! And heck, I'll probably pair Jaune with Blake or Ruby (any ideas, people?)**

**Anyway, let me know what you think, your reviews always help me improve and faves and follows always remind me to stay motivated hah :3**

**And if Roman is the apprentice, wouldn't Neo be the illegal third Sith training under the apprentice? Yes, yes she would :) Would there be Jedi Masters and Sith Lords? Yes, yes there would. And they will be characters in RWBY or at least referenced in RWBY.**

**Well enough of my notes, Happy Reading!**


	2. Of Monsters and Men

**_Of Monsters and Men_**

* * *

_Ruby_

So, okay, um... hmm. Where do I begin?

...I have no idea.

Hah well, it's kinda funny cuz um usually I can be very talkative and stuff and it's when I'm trying to say something important that I blank out all of a sudden! Ugh, story of my life.

Oh! I know! I'll write a story, starting with the day after initiation! Well, _today_. Duh, me! It's just that our teacher Professor Port is sooo boring, I'll just write everything I'm thinking for a while before I go back to drawing. I already have my masterpiece art picture planned: I'll call it... Professor Poop! Hehe, _professor poop~ _Good plan, Ruby! So here goes...

_Ahem_.

_Day three at Beacon started pretty well... for the most part. We got our dorm last night, that's cool! And this morning we got our brand new uniforms, yay! ^.^_

_Me, Yang and Blake tried ours on, though Yang had to adjust *hers* to allow her more comfort in *certain* areas... for *obvious* reasons... lucky. ('-_-)_

_ Blake chose to keep things conservative and chose tights to wear... until Yang stole them right off her legs during a surprise tickle attack and claimed them to be her own as 'spoils of war'. But at least Blake kept her bow. She *always* has her bow on, even when she sleeps! It must be special to her or something. _

_And to Rubify my own awesome uniform, I kept my trusty ol' hood! Oh yehhh! Besides... it was a gift from my mom... why would I ever wanna let it outta my sight?_

_Anyway, I woke up Weiss very very gently - with my 'Rape' whistle, whatever *that* means. They called it that when they gave it to me while I was at Signal, but no one EVER wants to tell me what the whistle is even FOR! ...__Which I'm pretty sure has something to do with Yang's death threats to anyone to tries to explain it to me. Ugh. _

_But after I was sure Weiss was awake, we got to our first order of business: Decorating! We even made BUNK BEDS (my idea) :3_

_As for the second order of business... well... we have classes. Bleh. Which we were almost late for! But thanks to Weiss, we were warned right on time :D But... she still seems to be a little annoyed ever since the morning. Hmm._

_ Ooh! I know! Time to execute Operation Cheer-Up-Weiss with my Professor Poop Masterpiece! She'll be so happy to have me as her partner to save her from moodiness and boredness! XD_

_..._

Done, mustache and all! Yeah!

I already seem to have Weiss' attention, so I show her my awesome stick-figure version of Professor Port, aka _Professor Poop! _But even though it gets Yang and Blake to laugh, Weiss doesn't look any less moody... maybe cartoons aren't her thing?

"Ah-heh-_hem!_" Oh no! Professor Port is onto us!

We all act natural until he continues, "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer _tenacity_, ~_blah blah blah~_..."

Okay, I'm bored again. But there has to be something I can do to make Weiss smile at least! Oh, I'll try balancing stuff! Apple on a book on a pencil on my finger, done!

"A true Huntsman must be honorable!" Port is _still_ talking and Weiss _still_ seems upset... um, oh! I'll make it look like I'm _really_ bored!

I drop my head on the table between my arms and pretend to snore.

"A true Huntsman must be dependable!"

I open my eye, only to see Weiss seems even madder! Hmm, time to pull out the big guns: the always-hysterical Nose-Picking move! It gets Yang to crack up every time! _Prepare to laugh your head off, Weiss!_

"A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"

YES! She's turning red! She's about to burst out in laughter!

"So, who among you believes themselves to be the _embodiment_ of these _traits?_"

But instead of laughing, Weiss suddenly snaps her head at the Professor and shoots her hand in the air, not realizing that the pencil she had in it goes flying backwards while she speaks up, "_I_-"

_SMACK!_

"AGH!"

* * *

_Jaune_

OH, _COME ON!_ WHERE'D THAT THING EVEN _COME_ FROM! AND OF _ALL_ THE PEOPLE IT CAN HAPPEN TO RIGHT NOW...

"OF _COURSE_ IT HAS TO BE ME!" I suddenly shout the last part of my thoughts, throwing my arms up in the air before realizing what I've done.

Everyone in the room goes silent and just kinda turns to look at me for a second before Professor Port scratches his mustache and shrugs.

"Well, then, let's find out!" he turns to gesture at glowing red eyes surrounded by shadow shaking the cage that traps it. That's not good. "Step forward, and face your opponent!"

Crapberries. I hate you all.

A few minutes later, I'm decked out in my battle gear on the main floor of the classroom, counting how many gods there must be that hate my guts in order for something like this to have happened. Why, Monty! _Why!?_

At least I have some fans.

Up in the seats, I catch Nora cheering for me with a mighty fist pump, "Gooooo, Jaune-Jaune!"

"Fight well!" Ren follows with a thumbs up.

"Represent team Juniper!" Pyrrha continues with a smile warm as ever.

I catch myself staring at her for just a moment longer than I probably can get away with, before a booming jolly voice wrenches me from my thoughts.

"Alllright!" Professor Port exclaims as he readies his giant axe next to the cage, "Let the match... _begin!_"

I don't know, but something about Pyrrha is different from my other two teammates. Just can't put a finger on it, though. Maybe my new power can help me figure it out? ...Heh, what am I thinking? Semblance or no, women will always be unknowable!

And with a heavy swing of his weapon, Port chops the lock off and a pudgy pig-like Grimm busts out of the cage. I quickly check the images on the board behind the older man and spot the name, Boarbatusk, before studying my new opponent as best I can.

Obviously, I know nothing about it.

But aside from its tusks, I really don't see how bad it can be... of course, until it roars and curls up into a revving wheel of bone and spikes and comes dashing in my direction! I barely dodge on time, somersaulting out of the way before getting to my feet and drawing my weapons.

"Ha-ha! Wasn't expecting _that_, were you?"

Nope. But... an idea suddenly strikes me. What if I could?

As the Grimm just a few yards away from me lets out a few angry grunts and prepares another rolling charge, I do my darnedest to do something I'd have never tried before... _not_ to run away screaming. And soon enough, I calm down, which is when this new sense finally kicks in again. Suddenly, I know exactly where it's about to go just as it begins its charge. I just _feel_ it.

Dodging its next attack much more easily, I try and keep a solid grip on Crocea Mors so it doesn't fall out of my hand embarrassingly at some random moment. Ruby now joins in the cheering.

"Hang in there, Jaune!"

I glance at her and nod, flashing the briefest of smiles before turning back to the Boarbatusk that has rounded a tight corner and is already heading at me in full force. I gotta try going on the offensive... but how!? I barely have sword training!

_RAWR!_

No time to think! Swing down!

_CLANK! _"_Agh!_"

My sword rebounds off its hardened bony exterior as it passes to my side, barely budging its direction but sending a _really_ painful jolt up my arms and shoulders. That was a very bad idea!

"Jaune! Go for the belly! There's no armor underneath!" Hmm. Thanks Ruby.

But wait. I turn to her, evidently frustrated that it really doesn't expose its belly while attacking.

"_What? _How am I supposed to-"

_SMACK!_

ACK! I take it back, that last hit was _way_ worse! I literally go flying a few feet away from the force of the unexpected impact from the creature, having been spared the worst of the hit by my upheld shield. But as I get up, I realize in horror that my sword has been knocked from my grip and now lies _allll_ the way across class. On the other side of this blood-thirsty Grimm. Juuust _peachy_.

"Oh-ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?"

Would I get in trouble for telling him to shut up? Though at this point, I don't think it'd help anymore. Any semblance of serenity is long gone, and as the beast curls up and begins its high speed attack, all I can do is close my eyes and put up my last line of defense with an admittedly embarrassing squeal.

"PROTECT ME, SHIELD!"

_CRACK!_

Everything goes white. Then everything goes black.

With each sense coming back one at a time, my eyes finally open as I get off my back from an end of the classroom I wasn't at a second ago and stand up, my hearing now coming back to play with a residual ringing in my ears from the impact between bone and shield.

The Boarbatusk is at the other end of the classroom, still trying to get up after the ordeal too, but I find it strange that everyone is staring slightly slack-jawed at something _behind_ me. I turn to look at the wall that kept me from crashing out of the building and see why.

That exaggeratedly large _crater_ we're all looking at in the reinforced granite? It wasn't there a moment ago.

"Look out, Jaune!"

Pyrrha's voice snaps me back into the match just as my feeling comes back as well, my attention now focused on the approaching Boarbatusk. Having learned its lesson, it ditches its rolling method and comes at me on all fours in full charge, ready for the kill.

I instinctively try to regrip my shield when I suddenly realize it's not there. I'm completely unarmed! No weapons, no formal combat, and literally backed into a wall! This is _not_ how I want to die!

And frankly, the thought of it _pisses_ me off.

But now driven by a mind of its own, I see my hand hold itself out at the incoming creature and I go along with it, letting everything I'm feeling - the frustration, the helplessness, the _anger_ \- flow out through my now-glowing fingers and out of my throat.

"STOOOOOP!"

In the heat of my own emotion, it takes a moment to even process when the Boarbatusk suddenly _listens_, screeching to a halt just inches away from my outstretched palm under my aura that's now coming out of it in pulses.

I - along with everyone else - finally get what's going on and can only stare agape at the scene as I strengthen my focus on whatever this is that I'm doing and the Grimm slowly and reluctantly goes down on its knees and finally on its side on the floor.

"My _boy!_" Port suddenly bellows once the Grimm actually relaxes, "From where did you learn such an incredible skill!"

"I... I don't know..." I reply, trying to make sense of this new trick.

But he walks over to my side with mirth and continues, "Poppycock! This is a marvelous development which we truly _must_ explore further!"

But what I don't expect is when he suddenly brings down his giant paw of a hand on my shoulder, completely breaking my concentration. Which releases the Grimm from its trance-like state.

_Grrrr-RAWR!_

But without a moment's hesitation, I now hold my hand out again, but not at the creature... at my sword. And with a sudden rattle on the floor as if it were a scroll put on vibrate mode, it finally flies across the room hilt-first into my hand and I quickly twirl it for momentum and drive the blade deep into the Boarbatusk's underbelly before it can stand.

"Bravo! Bra-vo!" Professor Port finally begins after another moment of stunned class-wide silence that gets interrupted by the school bell, "It appears we are indeed in the presence of a true Hunter-in-training! But I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and... stay _vigilant! _Class dismissed!"

I take a deep breath of relief, wanting to get out of here as fast as my scraggly legs will take me until I suddenly feel that vice-like grip on my shoulder again. I turn to see the Professor add a concluding request in an uncharacteristically lowered tone.

"Young Mister Arc, I'd also like for you to visit the Headmaster's office. Immediately. He would wish to learn about these spectacular events directly from your perspective," and returning to his normal loud tone concludes, "And not to worry, dear boy! I'll write you a note excusing you from Professor Goodwitch's next course! Now, on you go!"

Great. Out of one frying pan only to land in another. This should be fun...

* * *

_Roman_

Do you have _any_ idea how hard it is to find a decent cigar these days?

It's atrocious, really. Though the men at the only cigar shop in Vale already know me as a regular, it just hurts to see the lack of appreciation for these little puffs of heaven these days. Which is why that's the _only_ shop I wouldn't rob.

Besides, what's the point of being a master thief and having loads of lien if you have nothing to spend it on?

As I light my cigar while walking the streets of Vale, I happen to pass a certain bookstore: Tukson's Book Trade. I stop and take a good long look at the door, and the grimy Faunus shopkeeper who I can already sense is working inside.

"Hmm..."

Thats right. Tukson is a Force-sensitive ex-White Fang member who deserted his brotherhood to hide his growing ability from my Master. Idiot. He never should've begun training in secret in the first place. But he's not the disturbance we sensed.

Still, even Cinder'll soon find him with the ripple he's created in the Force. Which is why I'll let him be. I turn and keep walking down the streets with a smirk and a puff of smoke.

To be honest, there are actually _two_ things I respect in this world: cigars, and well-grown mutton chops. And ol' Tukson always did look like that Sabertooth guy from that X-Men movie I watched on Dustflix a while back. Same claws, too. So I'll give him a little reprieve.

And I don't wanna waste anymore time - I'm already late for an appointment in that god-awful club in the industrial part of town.

Finally reaching my destination, I'm granted entry by two run-of-the-mill henchmen in black suits and red shades and I enter the floor. I immediately notice to young ladies to my left who seem to take an interest in my unexpected arrival. Ah, the twins.

"Ladies," I greet, tipping my hat off to them, "gaining a few pounds, are we?"

That works well enough to get them to cross their arms and turn away with a synchronized "Hmph." while I make my way over to the bar.

They're not who I'm here to see.

"Where's Hei Xiong?"

"Uh, oh! Y-You mean Junior?" One of the henchmen at the bar asks, quaking at the knees.

_Why_ do I even bother with these fools? Ugh, well it'd be awfully tough to explain how one man managed to steal an entire boatload of Dust without risking the discovery of his knowledge of the Force. And I like to keep my know-how on the Dark Side under wraps. Keeps the crowd guessing.

"_Yes_, you idiot," I finally reply, dropping my cigar and casually crushing it under my shoe.

"Oh! R-Right away, sir!"

And speeding away, he returns soon enough with the club-owner in question.

"You wanted to see me?" Junior begins gruffly as we meet at the bar and the henchman hovers around nearby. Like an idiot.

"Hey _you_," I begin somewhat peeved at the henchman while pointing in some random direction across the club, "why don't you go somewhere _else_ and count something!"

Junior narrows his eyes at me as the poor guy scampers away, "Hey, you haven't bought any of my guys _yet_."

"Yeah, yeah. Forgive my manners," I reply while pulling out a generous wad of lien from my inside coat pocket, "Here. Payment all up front."

The tall man cocks an eyebrow as he begins counting the cash, musing aloud, "This is enough for-"

"Yep. Five dozen."

"May I ask _why?_" He inquires quaintly, tilting his head down and peering at me from above his red shades.

I merely chuckle as I pat him on the arm and turn to walk out of the building. I hate the smell of cheap club cologne sticking to my clothes after I come here and won't stay any longer than I absolutely _have_ to.

"Big plans, Hei Day... big plans."

* * *

**A/N: Hello, there! I feel as if the chapter was a little short, but if I would've combined it with the next chapter it would've been a pretty long read... Not sure if you guys would rather have me post 2-3k word chapters vs. 4-5k word chapters? Let me know!**

**In any case, I hope you liked the chapter! Not sure if you've heard of the game Hay Day? Yeah, that was Roman's pun. Hehe. His puns will be consistently terrible. :3 But thanks so much for your reviews, you guys are awesome! And don't forget to leave a fave and follow if you'd like to stay tuned for more!**

**And also, the main pairing has indeed been decided. JaunexBlake! But, it won't be as quick or straight-forward as some might expect. Kinda like One Good Turn (one of my favorite JxB fics on the site) it'll be slower and true-to-life as can be with these characters that haven't even spoken to each other in the show!**

**And... it'll happen in a way that I hope you Star Wars die-hards out there will like ;)**

**Ideas? Critiques? By all means, feel free to review or PM, as it helps me improve! :) That being said, till next time, folks!**

**And Happy Reading!**


	3. Masters

_**Masters**_

* * *

Needless to say, it had been quite a day for Jaune. Quite the _two_ days, actually.

In an effort to aid his chances during initiation, his aura had been unlocked, and in an effort to aid his friends in said initiation, so had his semblance. It was a strange form of karma that seemed to be working well up until now, as the blonde knight found himself making his way towards Ozpin's office just under the Beacon in the Academy's central spire due to his most recent outburst in Port's class.

As he pressed the elevator button to call down the lift, he contemplated the different facets of his new-found power.

On the one hand, using his power when calm gave him incredible power and intuition that surprised him to no end, this Force being a concept he knew he'd have to research as best he could.

But on the _other_ hand, using his power when angered gave him an incredible rush of exhilaration and focus, though accompanied by a train of unwholesome thoughts that climaxed with the swift execution of his first Boarbatusk.

It was a mental battle which he was sure could tear him apart inside before the stupid elevator would even reach the ground floor.

* * *

_Jaune_

I mean, you _gotta_ be kidding me, right? Who on Remnant tames a stinkin' Grimm with his mind!?

Honestly, I don't know what to think. I don't even know what to _feel!_

"Oops." I remark as a sudden blast of aura dents the heavy brass elevator doors in front of me inwards.

I'll just say it was like that when I got here.

The lift finally arrives and I step into the elevator to begin my slow ascent. But does it _have_ to be so slow? An idea hits me as I look up and focus on the movement of cables and pulleys above me. I can practically feel the motions as the elevator continues to rise, and decide that going just a bit faster wouldn't hurt...

I tentatively hold my hand up and imagine the motions speeding up above me.

_SKEEEEE!_

And suddenly, the elevator jumps as it picks up speed, and I can't help a soft chuckle at how easily that actually worked out. Maybe... Maybe Ozpin wasn't so crazy to make me a team leader after all?

I shake my head at the thought.

"Naaah, he's still crazy for making me a leader..." I say to myself with a smirk.

I mean, honestly, there's no _way_ he'd have known this would happen! And besides, what could he possibly know about... all of _this_... that he could help me with?

Finally reaching its destination at the top floor, the elevator doors open to reveal an office that might as well be the insides of a giant clock! I mean, the layout is simple - a desk, some chairs, and a few pillars here and there - but they're all transparent, revealing an intricate dance of gears and metalwork all in real time just under the surface. Everything in sync with each other, just like the silver-haired man sitting behind the desk while reading the morning paper and sipping coffee who motions to me just as I enter the room.

"Mister Arc... please, do come closer." Heh, it's like he sensed my hesitation without even looking at me.

As I approach his desk, I catch a glimpse of the view outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that line the back wall behind his desk, forgetting to breathe as I notice teeny tiny versions of the courtyards, the fountain and the statue below me leading to the cliff. And beyond the cliff... nothing... as if it were the edge of the world.

But seriously, I'm forgetting to breathe. Either I suffer from vertigo too, or being this high is already making me airsick!

Standing beside the desk, I'm really thankful to see a wastebasket suddenly appear beside me as I close my eyes and start counting backwards in my head to control my breathing and my breakfast that's lingering dangerously at the top of my throat.

"Phew..." I finally let out as my stomach contents make their way back down to where they belong.

But that leaves me with a new question. How'd Ozpin pass me the basket and know I was getting sick before even showing signs of it?

"You know," He suddenly begins casually, interrupting my thoughts as he remains seated and reading his paper before taking another sip of coffee, "Many children and young adults nowadays find themselves recurring to a common thought of increasing popularity. Any idea what it might _be_, Mister Arc?"

I cock my head to the side, a little confused at his intro. He seems to catch on, continuing while flipping a page and keeping his attention on his news article.

"_No one. Understands. Me_. Quite alluring, don't you think? And there are a myriad of reasons for this, most stemming from excessive self-importance or as an excuse to isolate oneself from others, thus maintaining an unfortunately parochial view of themselves and their often skewed ideals. And I assure you, that is a road that leads down towards a very... dark path."

Well, I wasn't expecting _that_. Putting down his paper and taking another sip of coffee, I know he's silently watching me as I turn to get one of the seats a few feet away from his desk. Which I find odd. The desk is _here_, but the chair is over _there_... odd.

"Oh, please. Allow _me_," he states, stopping me at the other side of his desk with his upheld hand. And then he does something that _really_ surprises me.

With only a glance at the chair and a flick of his upheld wrist, the chair speedily skids across the floor and stops right behind me, his pointed glance from me to the chair beckoning me to take a seat. Which I do, slack-jawed. _Ozpin can use the Force!?_

Putting aside his cup for the moment, he leans forward on the desk with both hands clasped in front of him and begins again, "Now that I have your attention, let me get to the _point_..."

I recover the bottom part of my jaw to its place as he explains, his usually distant air now replaced with a piercing aura.

"Mister Arc. To be rather candid, I seldom use my power... especially on an object as trivial as a chair. But I _do_ this so that when I tell you, _'I can understand what you're going through right now'_... you capture the _full_ weight of my words."

I blink at his words and methods. Consider it understood!

"It would appear that you didn't have any previous knowledge of your semblance until yesterday, am I correct in saying so?" I nod, and he continues, "Yet, to be frank, in the space of less than forty-eight hours, you've now entered a state of Force-sensitivity that even _I've_ never heard of... tell me, what do you know of midi-chlorians?"

"Uh... midi-what?"

"Midi-chlorians. Microscopic life-forms that reside within the cells of all living things and communicate with the Force."

"Well, then what you just said is now all I know."

The Headmaster exhales with the slightest of smirks curling the corner of his lip before explaining further, "You may think of them as an energy 'conductor' of the Force, residing mostly in the blood system of any individual. Now, before I forget, would you mind if I told you a secret, Mister Arc?"

I shake my head dumbly, waiting for him to continue.

"That day of initiation on the cliffs. You were the last person set to be launched, do you recall? ...Good. You see, we were never going to launch you. As a matter of fact, Miss Goodwitch was already prepared to hand you your letter of expulsion and a Bullhead ticket for the earliest available departure to your hometown."

At this, I know I go as pale as a sheet of paper, my stomach sinking to sickening depths as my mouth goes dry and all the moisture reappears on my forehead. H-He knew about my faked transcripts? This whole time!?

"Now, would you like to know _why_ you're still here?"

I nod my head dumbly, mouth too dry to speak.

"Because even though your transcripts were forged, it took me all of about five seconds after arriving at the cliffs to realize you possessed something... else. An ability much more powerful than that of most Hunters and Huntresses today. And I no longer think it a coincidence that I happened to carry on my persona that day a midi-chlorian counter, a device which went... for lack of a better word... _berserk_, when I came near you. I believe it was the will of the Force."

So many questions begin to patter my mind like rain from a huge storm, I don't even know where to begin... But it seems this strange, strange man has enough insight to answer the most important one first.

"Jaune, your cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life form. In essence, you are a vergence in the Force."

"A-A vergence?" I finally manage to eke out, clenching my fist in frustration as my voice betrays me with a crack.

"Yes," Ozpin continues calmly, "normal midi-chlorian counts in humans are usually around twenty-five hundred, and for Faunus a little more. _You_, Mister Arc, have a count of over twenty _thousand_. In effect, your instincts are more attuned to the Force than any other living organism, which is why in two days you've nearly mastered a few Force techniques which would normally take a young apprentice up to two _decades_ to learn."

"So... You're a Master," I mention quietly, more of a statement than a question.

He finally cracks a smile as he slowly leans back on his seat and reaches over to take a sip of coffee.

"Indeed I am. As are a few of our staff here at Beacon."

He pauses, as if expecting me to guess which ones. Heh, that's funny. There are _dozens_ of staff here... for all I know, the _janitor_ could be a master! But still... I stop and think for a moment as a few faces of professors I've seen cross my mind. And going with my instinct, I dwell on his right-hand assistant more than anyone else.

"Miss Goodwitch, too?" Has to be.

His smile widens ever so slightly, "Very perceptive of you, Mister Arc. You are correct. Her riding crop is indeed capable for casting her dust glyphs, but other than that, it is merely a prop for her to channel her abilities with the Force. A disguise of sentimental value, might I add. She had used it to tame a Goliath with the Force after the Great War... the first _female_ master to do so!" he concludes with an amused tone.

"So, I..." I begin, but my mouth is pretty much just moving without any sound coming out.

Honestly, I'm at a loss for words. Will _I_ be able to do those things someday?

"I can sense your bewilderment, and I know this must be difficult to process. But I assure you, you'll have plenty of time to sort out your new abilities during your stay here in Beacon," he adds with a reassuring smile, "You will be trained both as a Hunter and as a Master, and teachers may present themselves to you from the most unexpected of places. So be weary and accept counsel no matter the source."

I nod in acknowledgement but ask, "You really think I'll ever be able to learn all this? I-I mean, this midi-chlorian talk sounds like some pretty serious stuff..."

The Headmaster pauses for a moment before taking his cane and standing, turning his gaze back at me, "Indeed it is. Without the midi-chlorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you learn to quiet your mind, you'll hear them speaking to you."

I follow suit by standing up too and nodding my head with a smile, "Thanks, Professor."

"Of course. Now, if I'm not mistaken, it is lunch time and I'm sure your team must be very anxious to see you after your little skirmish in Peter's class. Until next time, Mister Arc."

I shake his hand and make my way back towards the elevator. There's still so much I'd wanna talk about - what more I'm capable of, how to control it, and the feeling I had when I controlled the Grimm in my anger... and unable to leave that bit for later, I turn and ask Ozpin a roundabout question on the subject.

"Uh... Professor Ozpin?"

The Headmaster is now standing by the window, looking out at the Academy grounds with his back at me, but replies anyway without turning, "Yes?"

"Did... Miss Goodwitch, ever feel anything after taming the Goliath? I mean, controlling it must've been pretty frustrating, right?"

"Not exactly. I'd say it was more the opposite - she grew rather fond of it, even naming it after some time..."

"What'd she call it?" I ask with a raised brow. It's kinda hard to imagine such a strict-looking teacher get attached to a pet. Especially a Grimm.

But even so, I can swear I sense him smirking to himself as he answers me from the window.

"Cuddles."

Silently chuckling to myself, I walk into the now-open elevator. But before the doors close, he calls out to me one more time with an almost amused tone in his voice.

"And Mister Arc, _do_ be more careful with the elevators. We may be a prestigious Academy, but expensive brass elevator doors are rather hard to come by."

The doors shut before I can offer my defense. Ah well, he's right anyway.

* * *

_Pyrrha_

I wonder what may be taking him so long. I hope he's alright.

Miss Goodwitch didn't seem fazed at all when Jaune didn't show up for class... she must've received a note of absence from another instructor since I don't believe she'd be the type of person to take tardiness lightly.

And then again, what he just did in Professor Port's class was no laughing matter. I had never seen anyone capable of controlling a creature of Grimm even if at least for a few seconds. I wouldn't be surprised if he had been sent to Headmaster Ozpin's office for further explanation. Apparently, aurakinesis has more applications than I imagined.

"Oh, _there_ he is!~" Nora suddenly shouts from our lunch table, bringing my attention to the cafeteria doors, "Jaune-Jaune!~ Oh, Mister Fearless Leadeeer!~ We saved you a seat!"

Ren calmly ignores the commotion his boisterous friend is causing as I see Jaune sheepishly scratch his head in embarrassment at the new nickname and make his way over. Normally, I'd expect someone who just defeated a creature of Grimm with little more than his _mind_ to be blowing his own trumpet all over the academy... but Jaune is different. It's quite refreshing, actually. A humble leader.

"Hey, um... mind if I sit here?" He asks me softly as he motions to the empty spot next to me at the lunch table.

"Oh! O-Of course!" I reply, fighting down the heat I know must be rising in my cheeks. _Pyrrha_, what's gotten into you?

I try and focus on my plate as Nora pummels my poor partner with a barrage of questions, Ren and I merely casual onlookers into the mostly one-way conversation. Of course, I have a few questions of my own, but after these events and Nora's interview, I'm sure he'll need time to recover.

It's just... he could've chosen to sit on the other side of the table next to Ren, but instead he chooses to sit next to _me_... Pyrrha, stop it. You're overanalizing things again.

And just as it seems Nora's about to let up, four new sets of shoes are heard approaching the table. Team RWBY.

_Clank! ...Clank Clank Clank!_

Four lunch trays drop on the table with us, four gazes more or less focused on Jaune.

"Hey there, Vomit Boy," Yang begins with a grin, "Lemme guess, they saved you the trouble and promoted you to Professor all at once, right?"

Jaune lets out a self-derisive chuckle, "'Professor Arc'? Heh, _that'll_ be the day..."

"It could happen!" Ruby states cheerily as she digs into the dessert portion of her lunch first. Even the girl in the black bow shrugs in agreement. Blake, I think.

"It _is_ plausible," she echoes in her own terms, "One good turn deserves another - you're offered the position if you find a way to teach future Hunters that skill."

"Aww, see? You even got Blakey here to speak up!~" Yang coos at her partner, much to her chagrin, "And it's been practically impossible to get a peep out of her today!"

"Which is because none of the topics that had previously arisen actually _interested _me," the raven-haired girl quips in response.

"Oooh~ Quick _and_ snarky comeback... I like it!" Yang replies light-heartedly, to which Blake merely rolls her eyes with a small smirk.

My leader then turns to Blake with a raised brow, "And what makes you think that kind of skill can be taught?"

"Well. If you think about it, we all possess to some degree a simpler form of aurakinesis... we learn to control our own aura through extensive training. Some, however, are more... _sensitive_... and are able to control more than just their auras, but the energy of everything around them as well."

Ren stops eating quietly for a moment to point his fork at Blake.

"Precisely." And then he goes back to his meal.

"But... Grimm don't have aura..." Ruby remarks from her seat.

"No, they don't," Weiss replies matter-of-factly, "and neither does a table. Or a rock. _But_, for a Force-user it doesn't matter since they can manipulate the energy _between_ themselves and any object through their own aura by proxy."

Ren and Blake pause, along with the rest of us, to turn to the very informative comment the heiress just gave, to which she simply shrugs nonchalantly.

"What. Last night I did some digging in the Schnee archives... I don't like to be the odd one out of the group when it comes to knowing something."

"Fair enough, Snow Angel," Jaune replies with a repressed laugh, "Does that mean you're showing regret that you couldn't join Team Jaune while you still had the chance?"

The snowy-haired girl facepalms loudly, though I can tell it's partly to hide her growing blush underneath.

"_No_."

Right. I had forgotten about Jaune's infatuation with her. It's... unfortunate. But equally as unfortunate is the fact that I'm too late to catch myself before I let out a sigh of dejection at the thought. And to make matters worse, Jaune notices!

"Pyrrha, you alright?"

Oh no! How did I let this happen? Simply say you're fine and that'll be the end of it!

"I-I..."

But suddenly, the eight of us are startled by a small yelp and turn to see a young faunus-girl a few tables down with one of the other first-year teams surrounding her. It is a sight that quickly brings my blood to a boil.

"Ow! That hurts..." She cries out meekly as the leader, a young man with red hair, pulls at her bunny ear.

He continues laughing as he turns to his cronies, "I told you it was real!"

"What a freak!" his teammate guffaws as they continue accosting her.

"Atrocious," I can't help but say as I imagine how many ways they should be punished, "I can't _stand_ people like them."

"He's _not_ the only one..." I hear Blake add beside me, glaring daggers at the group.

I turn to my other side to see how Jaune is taking it, and find my leader fighting back a snarl at the scene. Wait, the only other time I've seen him snarl was before he killed the Boarba- uh oh.

"Jaune..." I begin to whisper, only to be stopped short by his standing up and making his way over to the group.

"Hold on, Pyr."

Yang is watching the poor girl sadly, leaning her head on her hand without having seen Jaune, "It must be hard to be a Faunus- oh hey, what's Jaune doing?"

Meanwhile at the group, the girl stops struggling and grimaces as she continues, "Please, stop..."

"Aw c'mon, sweetheart," the redhead young man begins as Jaune approaches the group, "we're just playing- hey!"

I nearly jump out of my seat when Jaune practically shoves the boy off her. He may have a powerful semblance, but I have yet to see him adequately defend himself with his weapon, especially against something like that mace the kid carries!

"I believe this young lady asked you to _stop_." Jaune begins, his aura already beginning to glow.

"Oho, Lite-Brite! Who asked _you_ to join the party? You can get your turn when we're done with her..." The kid retorts ruefully, practically waving Jaune away.

"Good one, Cardin!"

"Yeah!"

I'm already feeling my hand reach towards Miló instinctively as Cardin's goons join in on the taunting, Nora behind me slowly taking out Magnihild as she whispers to our group.

"I say on the count of three, we break their legs! _Who's with me?_"

"Nora..." Ren chides quietly as the entire cafeteria is now riveted on the scene.

"The name's _Jaune_, by the way," Jaune replies, his aura flaring out a little more now.

But undaunted despite the growing tension in the area, Cardin steels his gaze on Jaune as if sizing him up, "Alright, Jauney-boy. Tell you what. Unless you wanna find a new and creative way to shorten your lifetime," he mentions as he pulls out his mace, "I suggest you go back to whatever hole you came out of. Besides, we were just looking for a Faunus to have some fun with, that's all."

I ready myself to join my Jaune- um, I mean, my _leader_ the moment I see his hand move down towards his hilt, as do the rest of teams JNPR and RWBY. But the seven of us stop short when instead he stops himself and looks up at Cardin, suddenly smirking. _Smirking? _

"Alright, Jauney-boy, you're starting to weird me out," Cardin states with a cocked brow in his confusion, "What's with that stupid smile on your face?"

In response, Jaune simply waves his hand once in front of Cardin's face slowly.

"You see, she is not the Faunus you're looking for."

"She is not the Faunus we're looking for..." An emotionless Cardin suddenly echoes blankly.

Seven jaws drop to the floor at the turn of events as Jaune repeats the motion.

"You're going to go back to your dorm and rethink your life."

"I'm going to go back to my dorm... and rethink my life..." Cardin repeats once more as he gets up from the lunch table and turns to leave.

He then motions at his team, "C'mon guys, let's... let's go..."

As Cardin's teammates trade unsure glances and finally follow their leader out of the cafeteria, I'm pretty sure I hear dozens more jaws hit their lunch tables in the area. A potential year-long bully, stopped in the second day of school...

Yang is the first one to gather enough sense to speak, "I... honestly didn't know he had it in him..."

And after trading a few unintelligible phrases with the quaking girl, Jaune returns to our tables with her by his side, making some room for her at the end of the table as he takes his place next to me once more.

"Hey guys, this is Velvet. She's a second-year, and she's on her own for a while because her team's flight was delayed by a few days. So I'm thinking she could chill with us for a while during lunch these next couple days?"

We all trade glances and quickly nod in assent to Jaune's noble gesture.

"Hello!" I begin warmly to the new girl to the group, "I'm Pyrrha Nikos!"

"N-Nice to meet ya..." She replies meekly with a small wave, then facing introductions with the rest of the group before sitting down.

Needless to say, it's a rather enjoyable lunch that follows. I think I can speak for Nora and Ren now when I say how glad we are to have a leader like Jaune!

* * *

_Ruby_

So... about what happened at lunch today and all... like Yang would probably say at a time like this: That was a thing!

I mean, when Jaune did that mind trick or something on Cardin, it was _so_ cool! I only thought magicians and ventriloquists could do that! ...wait, I don't think 'ventriloquist' is the right word. Meh, I'll ask Blake later... she's good with words, though actually _speaking_ them isn't exactly her thing.

Anyway, we're finally done with classes and I'm practically dragging my things back toward my dorm when I hear someone bump the wall around the corner. As I turn the corner that leads to my room door, I see Jaune has leaned back against the opposite wall and has slided down to the floor in a seated position in front of his room door, totally exhausted.

"Hey, Jaune!" I call out, which surprises him and makes me giggle at the reaction, "Long time no see! Did you lock yourself out or something?"

"Oh, uh, nope!" he states while raising his scroll and pretending to laugh, "Got it!"

Nice try, Jaune. But something's going on. Ruby Rose to the rescue!

"So! What's up?" I mention as casually as I can. In case you don't know, I'm not like, super good at talking to people and stuff...

"I, uh..." Jaume tries to begin, but just sighs and lowers his head, "I dunno. I messed up. In just two days, I break a cliff, break a wall, and nearly find myself breaking Cardin's face. I think I'm in way over my head here, and as for my Semblance, I don't know if I'm controlling _it_ or it's controlling _me_... I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea."

He breathes out sharply through his nose as he thumps his head back against the wall, "I'm starting to think I'm just setting myself up for failure."

Hmm... how should I handle this? Ah, got it!

"Nope!"

Jaune just looks at me in surprise, "'Nope?'"

"Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."

"But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"

Hmm... does he have a point? "Nope!"

He laughs as I scooch over and join him on the floor before responding, "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

"Nope! Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." He groans and sinks lower to the ground. Too harsh? "...and you might've even been a failure when you got here!" he groans again and goes lower still. Yep, too harsh. "But, you can't be one now. You know why?"

I catch a glint of hope in his eye as he slowly turns his head to look at me, "Uhhh, because...?"

"Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us." I get up and place my hands on my hips as I continue... my mom, she would've done that when giving me advice, "We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you."

And as I finish, I'm suddenly struck with the best idea I've had at this school since our bunk beds!

"Oh! Ohhh!" I cry out excitedly, gripping his hand to yank him up, "I know something we can do to help you learn to control your semblance!"

* * *

_Jaune_

Okay, so I've figured out Ruby is one to come up with interesting ideas. Like slingshotting the Nevermore to its death, for instance.

But as I stand next to her over-excited self at the edge of the Emerald Forest in the late afternoon, I can't help but think this may not be one of her better ideas.

"Uh, Ruby? Are we even supposed to be outside school grounds right now?"

"Psh!" She dismisses me playfully, "Oh come on! It won't be for too long, and besides, I do this when I need to control my semblance, too! It'll be fun, it'll be fun..."

"And what is it that you do, exactly?" I ask with a cocked brow.

I see a wide grin grow on her face before responding, "I run!"

"Uhh, Ruby... You know our semblances are kinda different, right? I don't think running-"

"It's for exercise, silly!" She interrupts with a play punch at my shoulder, "It helps you loosen up your aura so it's easier to practice with it!"

"Oh."

That... actually makes complete sense.

I then start to stretch my legs, looking at her with some confusion when I realize she's just watching me, "So uh... are you gonna run with me? Or..."

The question in my head that's trying to make its way out is suddenly cast aside as the crazy little girl grins again and hops on top of me piggy-back style!

"You're funny, Jaune! But _I'm_ the trainer - I train, _you_ run!"

Aaand, this situation quickly goes back to 'bad idea' territory. Ah well, it can't hurt to try.

Ruby now points Crescent Rose in compact form ahead of me like a little cane as she cries out, "Onwards through the woods!"

A few minutes in, I'm still holding onto her as I run through Emerald Forest, Ruby giving me the occasional instruction on where to turn and how to focus my aura into my legs. And I have to say, normally by now I'd be completely winded, but I have to give Ruby credit because since I'm following her advice I barely feel like I'm breaking a sweat!

"Keep running! Good," she coaches from on top of my back, holding onto me as I round another corner, "A Hunter's strength flows from his Aura. But always be careful of misusing it. Anger... fear... aggression. Like Blake said, it's like the dark side of your Semblance. They flow easily, quick to join you in a fight. But if you let it, it'll take over, only doing more harm than good!"

I reply between puffs of breath, "But what if... the dark side... is stronger?"

"Nope!" She answers without skipping a beat, "Quicker, easier, maybe. But never stronger."

"Alright then... Miss Smarty-Pants," I retort playfully, "But how... am I supposed to know... the good side from the bad?"

She replies with a soft tap to my head using her compact weapon, "You'll know. When you are calm, at peace. Passive. It's like my uncle always said, a good Hunter only uses his aura for his quest for knowledge and defense of the people, never for attack without purpose!"

Well, then I guess it was a good thing I didn't cause any damage today at the cafeteria. I'll have to keep that in mind. But suddenly, Ruby taps me to stop.

"Okay, we're here."

"Where's _here?_" I ask, though it still hasn't quite registered in my head that my footsteps are now making metallic sounds instead of mushy forest floor sounds.

"Oh... uh, you'll see..." she answers, clearly hiding something as she suddenly grabs onto me a _lot_ harder.

"Ruby!" I squeak out under the constriction, "Why are you holding me so-"

And that's when I hear it. I look down in stunned silence, as if I've stepped on a land mine.

_ticktickticktickticktickticktickDING!_

**TWANG!**

"RUUUBYYYYY!" I scream as I suddenly find myself flying through the air with her holding onto my back, launched by one of those thrice-accursed stupid stupid launchpads! "WHY!?"

"Just calm down!" She cries out into my ear through the rush of air around us, "Focus on landing near the ruins by the cliff and use your Aura to execute your landing strategy!"

Landing strategy!? I've never even _had_ one of those! What am I gonna do, land feet first in a huge blast in the middle of the forest!?

Well... that could work.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes once I see my target, feeling the approaching horizon below me. Stretching my arms out like stabilizers, I pull them in quickly once I'm level to flip myself several times through the air on my way downwards while packing as much aura as I can in my legs. Here goes nuthin.

_BOOOM!_

I feel my legs make contact with the floor and put all my focus in sticking the landing, feeling my momentum cushioned by my aura and transferred to the floor. Finally opening my eyes, I'd say I'm at least slightly shocked to see the massive crater around me.

"Did... Did I just make this?" I ask blankly as Ruby slowly gets off my back.

"Ye_p_," she answers, popping the 'p', "And Jaune, that was pretty cool..."

Heh, you know what? I swell up a bit in pride cuz for the first time in my life I've done something totally awesome and a girl was around to see it! Well, _third_ time, if you count the Nevermore and Boarbatusk...

"...But you overshot the ruins by a few hundred feet."

Way to kill the moment, Ruby.

A minute or two later, though, we're at the ruins. The place our teams had fought the Nevermore and Death Stalker and won. Most of it was still standing, though it was tough to tell in the heavy fog that was starting to fall in the area as the sun was getting closer to setting.

Standing at the edge of the broken bridge, Ruby now places a hand over her line of sight to gauge how far the other end of the bridge is and then looks back at me with a smile.

"Okay. Official training, has begun!" Really? Official training hasn't even started yet? "First, we're going to jump to the other end of that bridge!"

I can't help but scoff at the crazy idea, "Impossible!"

But Ruby will have none of it. Pouting in frustration, she quips, "Concentrate!"

"But Ruby," I begin softly, trying to reason with her, "A landing strategy is one thing. This is totally different. I can't make that jump!"

"Nope! Not different!" She continues adamantly, but now with a small smile, "It's only different in your mind. Take what you've learned, and _unlearn_ it right now!"

I turn my gaze to the broken bridge and try to focus quietly, "All right, I'll give it a try."

"Well, it's like my Uncle Qrow always said: Do. Or do not. There is no try."

"Yeah, yeah, you told me that already," I retort sideways as I keep my concentration on the bridge, now running at it but only to screech to a stop at the edge with my hesitation.

"Again," Ruby states from the side.

Sighing slightly, I take my place a little further back this time and begin my faster approach. But as I sprint to the clearing, it's like it stretches further and further away in my head! Unable to keep my focus, I have to screech to a stop again just at the edge.

"_Again_..." Ruby quips impatiently, tapping her foot on the floor. This trainer side of her... kinda came out of nowhere.

This time I take my place even further back, closing my eyes and concentrating on leaping over the huge space. And I start my sprint, giving it all I got.

"YAHHH!"

But just as I'm getting to the edge, fear grips me once again and I skid to a stop, barely holding on to the bridge as my legs slide off the edge with the speed. Ugh, _why do I have to be so unsure of myself!?_

Climbing back up, Ruby offers me her hand and I take it, finally standing again and panting heavily, "I can't. It's too big."

"Size doesn't matter!" She replies to me in her high-pitched voice, "Look at me. You saying you'd judge me by my size, too? Hm?"

I shake my head quickly. Never in a million years would I do that. The girl is lethal.

"And well, you _shouldn't_," she continues with a kinder tone, "because my aura is my ally. And like my uncle says: a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. We're much more than this..."

I yelp a bit at her sudden pinching of my arm, "this crude matter."

"Heh, is that your uncle's words or yours?" I retort playfully, to which she sticks her tongue out at me before continuing seriously.

"What's that thing about you that Blake and Ren said you had? Auraki-what?"

"I dunno," I shrug, still not having remembered it myself, "I just call it the Force."

"Well, you must _feel_ the Force around you," she states with a wide sweeping gesture around herself, "Here, between you... me... the tree... the rock... everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that bridge!"

I sigh in discouragement, "You want the impossible."

Ruby rolls her eyes at my response and throws her arms up in frustration, but instead of berating me like all my old teachers and even my sisters used to do, she suddenly locks her own gaze with the other side of the bridge. With her eyes closed and her head bowed, she stashes her weapon and slowly goes down to a crouch as she takes a slow, deep breath.

I can actually _feel_ the aura coalescing around her... and as easily as the exhale that follows, she then leaps gracefully from her position through the air, flipping once... twice... before landing softly at the other end of the bridge in the distance. I can only gawk at the incredible feat.

"I don't... I don't believe it..."

In the distance, I see her cup her hands around her mouth to answer, "That is why you fail!"

I slowly shake my head in bewilderment before I suddenly sense something. _Several_ somethings... right behind me and closing in fast! Ruby sees them before I do.

"Jaune, look out!"

And without thinking, I crouch down and feel my aura pool in my legs as Ruby did hers and leap clear across the space of several dozen feet to the other end of the bridge, just as the spot where I was previously standing is suddenly riddled with explosions!

_BOOM! BOOMBOOMBOOM!_

My foot slips of the edge as I land and I start flailing my arms trying to keep my balance, but Ruby saves me by pulling me the rest of the way in by my outstretched hand.

"Thanks," is all I can say as I look at where I know stand. I did it. I actually _did_ it! HAHA!

"No problem. But... what _was_ that?" Ruby asks quietly, narrowing her eyes through the thickening fog and smoke around the ruins.

We don't have to guess much longer as a large dark silhouette emerges through the fog, the low hum revealing it to be none other than a weaponized Bullhead.

"Ruby..." I begin, sensing that this thing isn't making a mistake by targeting us and grabbing the stunned girl by her arm, "I think we need to get moving... like, now!"

She snaps out of it when another round of missiles fire at us, dodging the next wave of blasts that destroy the rest of the bridge as she turns her gaze back to me.

"We gotta get back to the top of the cliffs!"

"And how are we gonna do that!?"

"Follow me!"

We retreat toward the cliff as yet another round chases us from behind.

_Sssshhh-BOOM!_

_SssshhhSSHHH-BOOMBOOMBOOM!_

Dodging them again as they hit the cliff wall above us, Ruby using her skill and me using my instinct, I let instinct take over as I see Ruby's plan coming together in my mind. We're going to use the giant falling rocks as stepping stones on our way up!

This girl... is officially CRAZY.

But with little other choice, she and I begin leaping huge distances upwards between rocks, my fellow leader now using Crescent Rose to deflect the incoming hail of machine gun bullets as I instinctively flip over lines of flesh-tearing projectiles around me. At this point, I start to believe Ozpin about the Force having a will, because I sure as heck am not able to _dodge friggin' gunfire on my own!_

Suddenly, I hear Ruby cry out in pain somewhere nearby, and when I turn to look at her while I'm in mid-leap, I see she's not jumping much anymore. A bullet must've grazed her leg! FORGET THIS! I'M TAKING THESE GUYS DOWN RIGHT NOW!

I take a firm stance on a somewhat horizontal falling rock and reach my arms out to the remaining falling rocks around me. My hands glowing, I feel the giant pieces of earth fall under my command and begin whipping them at the ship. That's right. Like telekinetic missiles of my own.

Having to cease fire to dodge my counter-attack, I get the opening I need to launch myself downwards to catch Ruby in the air.

But without any more ideas or any more falling rocks, Ruby looks down, "Jaune!"

I follow suit to see the ledge on the cliff where Weiss pinned the Nevermore to the cliff approaching quickly. This is really going to hurt.

Here goes nuthin.

"HANG ON, RUBY!"

* * *

_Roman_

_Stupid kid almost wrecked the ship!_

I quickly turn to the pilot, still decked out in his black suit and red aviators - like an idiot - to gauge the situation.

"What happened? Did they fall?"

"I dunno," the generic henchman/pilot states while clicking and pushing a bunch of random controls around him, "it's tough to get a decent reading through all this fog, but I think we got em!"

Thats a relief. Though honestly, I was hoping this 'vergence' in the Force would've put up a little more of a fight. Figures, he was just a kid anyway.

"Want me to check for any heat sigs?" He asks me from his seat as I stand next to him in the cockpit.

"No need. There's no way those kids could survive all that weight on them, much less get out from there," I state as I watch the huge mass of boulders over that ledge, a few more even falling over them as I speak.

Besides, what good would turning him to the dark side do if we would fish him out of there? Frankly, I don't need the competition.

"Let the dead stay dead," I conclude, "Besides, it's my turn to get dinner for everyone tonight. I'm thinking... burritos."

"Yum!" The pilot replies as he turns the craft away.

* * *

Of course... neither of them could possibly imagine the mighty Force shield underneath the rubble that had been created in the nick of time to keep the two kids alive.

Under the mass of boulders, Jaune stood, straining both physically and mentally against the weight of earth that was threatening to crush them at any moment as Ruby quickly tended to her flesh-wound.

"It shouldn't be that bad," she mentions as she wraps a makeshift bandage around the four inch gash along her thigh, "my aura should have it taken care of before we get back. No one's the wiser."

"Y-You th-think they're gone?" Jaune asks quickly, straining under the weight.

"Hmm, I think so."

He exhales sharply before deadpanning at his fellow leader, already beginning to tremble under the bodily stress, "Then do ya think we can find a way to get _outta_ here!?"

"Oh, right," she replies casually, as if this kid being able to hold up tons of rocks with his mind were hardly a surprise to her as she reloads her scythe with its augmented Cross Clip magazine.

She puts on her headphones to the song of This Will Be The Day as she looks over at Jaune, "You might wanna cover your ears for this!"

"I _CAN'T!_" Jaune yells angrily.

But unable to actually hear him, Ruby simply nods, "Okay!"

_BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM ... !_

* * *

The sun sets over the wide expanse of the Emerald Forest as two very tired students make their way back to Beacon, the taller one of the two even having ditched his armor and instead opting to drag it telekinetically behind him.

As they finally near the structure, the ambient glow from outside lanterns and dorm light casting a dim light over them, Jaune looks over to Ruby to see a very pensive expression on her face.

"You alright, Ruby?"

"Yeah," she replies with a flat tone and her gaze still fixed forward.

"...thanks for getting us out back there. For everything, really."

Finally snapped out of her dark cloud of thought, she looks over at him with a warm smile, "Well, it was _you_ who saved our butts when we needed it most! But I knew you had it in you!"

Jaune had to admit, his confidence in his physical abilities augmented by the Force had indeed been bolstered that day, and was extremely grateful to his red-hooded leader for having provided him the chance... even if it ended up being extremely life-threatening in the end.

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it... but still, let's never do that again!"

"Agreed!" She concurs with an amused grin.

"And I don't know what that thing was, but it was definitely gunning for _us!_" He adds, to which she slowly drops back into thought as they walk up to their dorm building.

Jaune notices, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder before she can walk inside.

"What is it Ruby? Something's troubling you, and I can feel it."

Sighing deeply, her eyes stay glued to the floor as she answers quietly, "It's just... that ship... it looked awfully _familiar_..."

He's about to reply with another question when she suddenly looks up and gives him a tight hug.

"But that doesn't matter right now!" She exclaims as she nuzzles her head into his chest, "What matters is that we're okay and that no one got hurt!"

Jaune slowly returns the embrace before responding, "But you do know we'll have to tell Ozpin, right? What if those people are hunting down students?"

"I know, I know... tomorrow, then. We'll tell him," Ruby acquiesces as she pulls back, her arms still lingering on his waist, "But thank you, Jaune... I mean it."

He returns her smile with one of his own, "Anytime, Rubes. Rest well, and don't read too much manga!"

"Heeey!" She protests as she play punches him again, calling out to him as she turns and enters the building with a finger raised, "I do what I want!"

And Jaune is left outside chuckling to himself and picking up his armor when he feels a soft presence from above. Looking at the roof, he swears he notices a lock of crimson-red hair flowing over the side of the building in the wind.

Taking a few steps back, he then notices its owner.

_Pyrrha?_ He thinks to himself as he watches her looking at the glowing central tower of the Academy in the distance, _Wonder what she's doing up there?_

And taking all of about three seconds to make up his mind, he decides to go up and see.

* * *

**A/N: And there's chapter three! Longer and action-packed to make up for my wimpy second chapter from before :S I'll be making sure to keep chapters between 4-6k words from here on out, and I hope you guys liked it! I also have a few other fics in my profile like _RWBY: Switched!_, a humor/parody fic; _Chronicle_, my rebooted RWBY AR fic which was previously titled _The Valean War_; or even my SI fic_ \- _in case you're_ really _bored_ \- John Carter of Remnant, _if you guys are interested!**

***Ends shameless self-promotion paragraph with no regrets***

**Props to anyone who gets my not-so-subtle references to Coeur Al'Arans fics and the Star Wars pseudo-parallel I used for the Ruby/Jaune scene! And if any of you Star Wars die-hards get the Cuddles reference... You're awesome, and I love you :3 I'll leave it at that. If you liked it, hated it, or have some ideas, please feel free to leave a review! Otherwise, leave a fave and follow as your support helps keeps me motivated! ;)**

**Also, I've noticed there are some _really_ talented artists in FFnet and am currently looking for a cool Star Wars-like Jaune Arc coverart piece for my fic! Doesn't matter if he's Jedi or Sith, trust me... It'll work ;) If you're interested, feel free to PM me and maybe we can touch base through DeviantArt or something!**

**Anyway, that's all for now, thanks so much for helping me make this fic a 100+ follower fic... And in less than 5 days! Wow! You guys are awesome :3 Just one more thing... Should this continue being a POV fic? More POV? less? none? Let me know what you think!**

**Till next time, and Happy Reading!**


	4. Chance Encounters

**_Chance Encounters_**

* * *

On the roof of the dorm building, two forms come together in the night, each one dimly lit by the pale green light of Beacon's light tower and breathing heavily in their current state.

Pyrrha is no less drenched in perspiration than Jaune, who's close enough to her to see how her fine skin rises in little goosebumps under the crisp breeze that softly bites them between breaths.

And finally unable to hold herself back any longer in her current situation as Jaune pushes against her once more, she lets out a wide-eyed exhale of satisfaction that's enough to melt any man's heart.

"_Wow_... I-I never thought it'd be like this!"

At this, Jaune pauses in his advance momentarily with concern to check his work, "I-Is everything okay? Was I too rough?"

"N-No!" she replies a little more loudly than she had intended, still nervous under the pressure he kept on her, "It's just that... it feels_ incredible!_ I mean, it's the first time I have ever been in this situation, but I'm truly glad that it's with you. I couldn't imagine it any other way!"

His brow shoots up with some confusion at the statement, "Really? N-Not even with some of the guys you met during your tournaments?"

"Not one," Pyrrha quips cheerily with a satisfied smirk, "You really are the first!"

"Wow, then shucks, I guess I'll admit that it's my first, too... I've never even tried getting this far with anyone before," he admits with a light blush.

She smiles warmly at him to put his insecurities at ease, enjoying every second of close proximity as they share the air passing between them - and as far as she's concerned at the moment - even matching heartbeats. But then sensing a way to test how far he'll go with this encounter, she looks down.

"It sure doesn't _feel_ like it."

His blush immediately goes from pink to crimson. Of course, he retaliates with another push, sending her ever so much closer to the edge.

"J-Jaune! Hold on!" she nearly cries out with a gasp from the sudden motion, her plan clearly backfiring, "That almost did it for me!"

Content with his retaliation, he chuckles softly as he locks his cerulean eyes with her vivid emerald orbs, "So easily? I didn't know you were the type!"

"I-It's not like I've ever been in such a compromising position before! At least let me remember this feeling to keep with me until next time..." she practically sighs her response, eyes fluttering shut for just a moment.

"Next time?" he asks with a smirk.

"Oh _definitely_ yes next time."

"...You're really enjoying this, aren't you."

"I'll have to admit it's unlike anything I've ever experienced before."

"Hm," Jaune remarks softly, "Me too."

And another soft push, the warmth of his body and powerful aura against her contrasting with the chilling wind running across her back. She knows she can't last much longer with them locked together like this.

"Ah! A-Alright, just let me off easy, I'm way too close to the edge for safety!"

"Okay, okay," he adds playfully, his confidence beginning to bud with the night's events, "But only if you make me breakfast tomorrow."

"But then Ren and Nora will know!"

"Pyr," he replies, deadpanning at his blushing partner, "Everyone already knows we were going to end up doing this. It's... not exactly a secret."

"Really?" she asks with wide eyes twinkling with surprise.

"Yeah, I sense these things..."

"Ah," she replies dreamily, half in response to his statement and half due to the feeling of his aura around her, seemingly filling every crevice of her being before acquiescing to his request, "Then f-fine. Finish me however you wish, just please get me off!"

And at that moment, Jaune does what any guy would do if commanded to do a thing like that by a gorgeous young woman like Pyrrha.

He pulls her back from the edge of the roof.

Brushing off her armor, which had been scuffed, scratched and dented by their sparring match until he had pushed her up with sheer strength to the edge of the roof they had gotten used to practicing on, Pyrrha deadpans at Jaune as he pretends to slice her head off slowly with his sword from afar with his own set of over-the-top sound effects.

"There!" He declares as he completes the motion, "Finished ya!"

"Really?" She retorts firmly, the stern look in her eyes belied by her quaking lips which slowly turn into a smirk... and finally into amiable laughter at his antics.

"Oh, come on! All these weeks of sparring, and tonight I've _finally_ won one for the first time!" Jaune exclaims with pride.

"Yes, your swordplay has improved immensely," she counsels as they each wrap an arm around each other for support due to their fatigue as they head back into the building, "And you've nearly mastered a few of the seven combat forms of Mistrali swordsmanship..."

Her voice dies down through the open door of the stairway on the roof before four heads pop up over the edge of the roof and promptly return to their dorm room.

Inside, three grumbling members of team CRDL cross their arms in front of their gloating leader.

"I _told_ you pin-heads they were just sparring again," Cardin begins with a hearty laugh at their less-than-dignified inferences, "Now pay up!"

He promptly receives three wads of lien in his hand which he then turns to count victoriously in his bed.

* * *

_Jaune_

I can't believe it!

I beat her! Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, defeated under my very hand! Well... technically under Crocea Mors' blade.

_Sigh_.

That may have been the greatest battle that Beacon will never know.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself here. It's been weeks since I first approached Pyrrha on that rooftop after coming back from training with Ruby, and I'm glad to say I've come a long way since then. Though there _have_ been a few issues on the way.

Issue number one? The Bullhead.

The next day after coming back with Ruby, we went to Ozpin's and told him everything. Even though it was foggy, they still had plenty of time to see that they were shooting at students, and we assumed they could be back to harm the school. But Glynda, who was in the office to listen too, made a good point... Why come in a single vessel and take down two kids after having seen _me_ first, only to turn away when they thought we died? Could _I_ have been the target? Hard to believe, but maybe...

So instead of causing alarm at something we didn't know for sure, Ozpin had me do this weird meditation exercise where I focused my mind on the ripples in the Force caused by Force-sensitive people. He guided me through it until it was clear to me what I saw.

The ripple I was making was _waaay_ bigger than Ozpin's or Glynda's.

The exercise was to get my ripple to match theirs as closely as possible, which would "cloud" my presence in the Force. He said it could take days to do it well and that I needed to do it as soon as possible. Meh, I figured it out in like... two, maybe three minutes. Problem solved. No random attacks since then.

Issue number two? My semblance.

After telling Ozpin and Glynda about our training session, Ozpin asked Ruby where she had learned a few of those principles she helped me with. After realizing they came from Qrow - or in Ozpin's words, "that dusty old Qrow who likely has more knowledge of the Force than any of us" - Ruby was commended for her initiative, reprimanded for her recklessness, and substituted for Glynda with weekly secret Force technique excercises after class. Mostly Force Push and Force Pull so far. Yippee. That's sarcasm, by the way.

But then again, it served me pretty well when Nora accidentally covered herself in red sap jelly during a field trip to Forever Fall, attracting a nasty-looking Ursa Major. A few Force Pushes and Force Pulls later, and I had created Remnant's first pulled-Ursa-brisket dish in history. Not that it lasted, though. Cuz... dead Grimm disintegrate and stuff.

Issue number three? Cardin Winchester.

Apparently, he didn't have much of a life to think over, so he remained largely unchanged when he came back to classes the next day. Though not against _me_. He was still a jerk to everyone else.

Fortunately, issue number three was taken care of by issue number two earlier this week. I was scheduled to spar against him, and let's just say I took special pride in the fact that I literally beat the snot out of him AND mopped up the floor with him after that - all without laying a single finger on him. Glynda was... amused... but advised me to "keep a low profile when it came to my semblance in future matches". Fine.

Anyway, back to the rooftop that night when I first approached Pyrrha.

To be honest, had it not been for activating my semblance and Ruby's fateful training exercise, I probably would've been too absorbed in my own macho stuff to accept what Pyrrha offered me up there.

After finding her and asking why she was there, she told me that she had just found that place and she decided she'd return whenever she wanted to sit and think, and then we got to talking. I have no idea how long we were there, it was almost dawn by the time we decided to go to bed. But we just clicked, you know?

But at the end of it all, she commented that even though my semblance was powerful, there would be times I'd need my weapon in battle... and she brought up my less-than-awesome sword skills I showed in Port's class. Then she offered to train me.

Sure, at first I hesitated... I mean, who wants to be the damsel in distress, the kid with lead blocks tied to his shoes that might bring down anyone who tries to help him? But after saving two people in my first two days at Beacon - well, _one_ person... I saved Ruby twice - I figured I had a chance and accepted.

Seriously though, it was boot camp after that. I mean, just learning the _names_ of the seven Mistrali combat forms based on sword and saber dueling was a pain! But I think I've got 'em down now... Let's see: Shii-Cho, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Shien, Niman, and Vaapad. Yep, I think.

And all that training has led to this! This incredibly awesome, super cool, life changing match where I handed the Mistrali Champion the first defeat she had seen in _years! _Not to mention how oddly _happy _she seemed about it... now that I think about it, I could sense how during our fight it was as if a huge weight were lifting off her shoulders as I started gaining the upper hand.

Maybe she didn't want the title 'The Invincible Girl' anymore... maybe she's decided that she's had this unreachable image that has alienated her from the people who idolize her for so long that she's grown sick of it. And... I guess that makes me the first guy she's comfortable with that can chill with her regardless of what title she has...

HAH! Whatever abilities my semblance is giving me, it must include some crazy sense of intuition cuz I usually _suck_ at figuring out what people are feeling. I mean, one time I saw my oldest sister crying and tried to make her feel better by offering her some laxative. _Laxative_. Turns out, she had just broken up with her boyfriend.

So yeah... I'm probably wrong about this whole Pyrrha thing. Anyway, time for bed.

* * *

_Blake_

50, 51, 52, 53, 54...

_Sigh_.

...57, 58, 59, 6:30.

Picturing the numbers in my head, I open my eyes to see my scroll clock showing 6:30 AM.

Unfailing punctuality. Courtesy from a life in the White Fang.

Well... from a life I once _had_ in the White Fang. I almost feel as if it's a dream sometimes, that I'll wake up in a WF Bunker somewhere deep in Vytal's forests to Adam at my door, berating me about something having to do with sleeping too much. Apparently, the bull-headed man had never heard of a little thing called _catnaps_.

Yet, despite myself, I slowly get out of bed and make sure my bow didn't fall off during the night. Never hurts to be cautious.

My routine is simple: go to the restroom, slip out of my bow and yukata, take a shower. Followed by: dry off, comb my hair, get dressed. Simple. Unfortunately, when it comes to Beacon, everything after that seems to take a light-speed jump _away_ from 'simple'.

For example, today we have the day off from school. It's a Friday. Who said we should take it off? Why? The schedule makes no sense, and to this day I'm still not completely sure whether or not we get weekend classes.

Now, I know it may seem that I'm the complaining type by now, but I prefer to call it _observant_. Besides, I seldom voice my thoughts... I'd much rather occupy them in my books. Makes the day significantly more bearable.

"Morning, Blake!" Ruby chimes as she sprints by me in a race against her sister to the restroom that she always wins.

"Mmph," I reply casually without looking up from my page.

"DARN IT, RUBY!" Yang shouts angrily at the closed bathroom door, her hair lighting up a bit before she turns to me with all signs of rage suddenly gone, "Mornin', Blakey."

"Mmph."

I believe my partner may have an anger issue. We should get that checked.

"I don't know which is worse, Xiao Long," a cold voice quips from just out of my line of sight on the adjacent bunk bed, "your random fits of anger or the fact that your partner may very well be a _mute_."

Bite me, Barbie-doll Schnee.

From the corner of my peripherals, I can tell that she is already fully-dressed. How she manages to get ready before all of us every morning without making a sound is beyond me, but that's about all I can vaguely compliment about her.

I silently glare at her for a second before returning to my book. Weiss Schnee, billionaire heiress who apparently doesn't have much else to do other than display her superiority and distaste to others who in reality couldn't care less what she thought. I'm certain it's a family trait.

But before I can continue my train of thought, Ruby rushes out of the bathroom fully-dressed as well and cheerily reads our to-do list aloud for our day off.

Go to town.

Aaand... That's it.

Hmm, I thought she'd say more.

"Welll, I know Jaune and his team probably don't have any plans today... We should invite them, too!" Ah, there's the addition.

I can't help but crack a smirk as I peer at our team leader over my book while she hastily dials her fellow leader across the hall. You know, I don't think I've ever seen that girl not smiling... naïve, but in the best ways a force to be reckoned with. Set to protect and to serve those she cares about.

Reminds me of better days.

'_Ruby, you know you can just knock at our door, right?'_ Jaune's voice comes through the line, '_We're just across the hall._'

It's not that I'm eavesdropping. I mean, c'mon. I cave cat ears!

"So... Does that mean you're coming?" She asks with anxious anticipation evident in her tone, to which the other line erupts into a flurry of hushed whispers.

Even I have difficulty making out their distinct voices before I suddenly hear '_Will there be pancakes?_' and then a subsequent '_I think I saw an IHOP the other day._' before the line goes completely silent.

'_Sure_.'

"Great!" Ruby exclaims in excitement.

But her mirth is as naught compared to the booming cry that echoes clear across the hall, "WOOHOO!~"

Nora Valkyrie, I presume.

Yang then calls out from the bathroom amid the sounds of running shower water, "What on Remnant was _that!?_"

"Nothing," I call out just loud enough for her to hear, "Just finish soon."

And to my surprise, the shower immediately turns off, and in less than ten seconds she's out of the bathroom in nothing but her yellow strapless crop top and black short shorts and making her way to her jacket and boots in the room. Completely dry.

Needless to say, I'm a _little_ surprised.

"H-How did you..." I begin slowly, trying to make sense of how quickly she went from showering to dressed, "Did you even actually _take_ a shower?"

"Oh yes I did!" She begins with a familiar gleam of _something_ in her eyes, "As a matter of fact, you can even say..."

Oh. Oh no. Here it comes. _Another pun!_

"...that whenever I get naked in the bathroom, the shower gets _turned on!~_"

OH DEAR MONTY IN HEAVEN!

"_Darn it, Yang!_" Ruby and Weiss shout in unison as I clench my eyes shut, trying to rid myself of the lewd mental image.

"This unacceptable behavior better not bleed over to our interactions today with the visiting students that we're hosting for the Vytal Festival..." Weiss growls out while pinching the bridge of her nose to relax.

Why do people do that? Pinching one's nose never helps one relax. But, sensing an opportunity to accost the snobbish heiress, I launch my verbal attack with a raised brow.

"You mean... _spying_ on them. Isn't that correct?"

The snowy-haired girl's eyes shoot wide open and her face begins to fluster as she sputters the quickest rebuttal she can afford.

"Y-You can't prove that!"

* * *

_Blake_

"All I'm saying is that with a quick burst of my aura, I get all dry in a snap!~" Yang tells me as the eight of our group walk down near the docks in Vale, "I guess you can say it's pretty coo- hey, why are you making that face?"

I open one eye and look at her, un-scrunching my face in the process.

"Sorry, force of habit. I thought you were about to go off on another pun."

She gives me a look of feigned offense as she replies, "Wh-Why didn't you tell me before, Blake! I didn't know they were _that_ bad! I mean, that would explain what happened that one time I tried to put ten puns in a pun contest to make sure at least one could win..."

Slightly feeling sorry for her, I couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

"_No pun in ten did_~" she replied, her expression of faux sorrow giving way to the type of troll face a person must practice for _years_ to perfect.

"_Yang_..." I reply gruffly with a facepalm.

"Gotcha, didn't I?" She continues with her usual happy mood, "Yeah, I'm pretty good at getting people to fall for stuff when I pretend to be sad... I guess you can say I'm an expert at _sigh_-chology?~"

She nudges my side as I suddenly realize that I've _literally_ been blindsided by a second pun.

_Yang, if you eke out ONE MORE PUN..._

"Okay okay!" She concedes, seemingly catching on to my growing tension, "I'll stop... sheesh. You act like I'd try to make a pun out of anything..."

"You _would_," I respond flatly.

"Well, I _can't_," she admits with her head hanging slightly in dejection, "Did I tell you I _tried_ to make a pun about rubber bands once...?"

She thinks I don't notice her ear-splitting grin through her golden locks as she prepares her final delivery. Not today, Xiao Long.

"But it was a stre-EEETCH! Gah!" She suddenly cries out as she nearly trips before eyeing me with suspicion, "You tried to trip me!"

I return her accusation with the most innocent face I can muster, "Whatever do you mean, Yang? I would never..."

She then narrows her eyes at me, "Don't give me that cat grin! I saw your leg to that blurry-thingy! You used one of your shadows!"

Cat Grin? That's a thing? Hmm... I should probably be more careful. I begin to voice my defense when a sudden shout and revving sound of an engine catches our attention on a nearby boat.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" A sailor on the ship cries out to a running figure across the deck.

The young man, as it seems, taunts his pursuers as he glances back, "Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!"

And executing a nimble front-flip off the deck, he literally hits the dock running and pauses to hang from a lamppost from his monkey tail.

"As if he's waiting for someone..." I mumble to myself with eyes narrowed at the distant scene.

"You no-good stowaway!"

"Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" The boy, as I decide more aptly describes him, replies before he peels a banana.

Yet before he can take a bite, one of two detectives with black shades down below throws a stone at him to get his attention. The other one stands to the side with yellow shades... or goggles. It's difficult to tell from this far.

"What's going on?" Nora asks with curiosity.

"Not sure, but I think we'll find out..." Ren responds quietly.

I continue watching as the monkey-faunus throws the banana peel at the detective's face and hops down from the lamppost, but not fast enough to evade his grasp. But in a surprising turn of events, the _other_ detective shoves the first one in the water, hopping onto a nearby speed-boat at the dock with the Faunus and tearing off the button-on shirt and wig to reveal a stylish burgundy jacket and neon-blue hair underneath.

It seems like the perfect getaway as both youths make their way towards us... That is, until the monkey-faunus stands and turns to jeer at the sailors and remaining detective swimming to shore.

"Hah! Let this be remembered as the day you _almost_ caught the amazing Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias duo in their trusty speeder, THE MILLENIUM SEA FALCON!"

And as if on cue, the engine promptly sputters and dies, leaving both kids dead in the water a few feet below us. They didn't even care to notice our eight heads watching them over the side of the pier as the blue-haired one turns from the wheel and throws his arms up in frustration.

"_What_ did I tell you about jinxing the Sea Falcon, Sun! What did I tell you!?"

Sun turns and faces his accomplice with a serious expression, "Whoa. Watch it, pal."

But instead, the blue-haired one responds with a shove which promptly leads to a shoving match between the two.

"Who you calling _pal_, friend?"

"Who you calling _friend_, bluetard!"

"Who you calling _bluetard_, monkeyturd!?"

"Hey," Sun suddenly stops, offended by the remark, "Don't call me a monkeyturd."

"I just _did_ call you a monkeyturd."

"Stop it." Another shove, reigniting the shoving match.

"Make me."

"_Stop_ it!"

"_Make_ me!"

"_WH-WHOA!_" Both guys exclaim in unison as they're suddenly lifted through the air and brought down on the pier with us against their will.

Jaune.

"Hey, what gives!" Sun yells as he watches Jaune's outstretched glowing hand.

But seemingly undisturbed by the strangeness of their predicament, the one I can only assume is Neptune adds, "_Yeah! _I just got this jacket dry-cleaned!"

"Give me _one_ good reason not to let that detective catch up to you both right now," the knight declares with a flash of his white aura as the detective appears on the pier a few hundred yards away.

Well, _that's_ a side of Jaune I've never seen before... And here I was thinking he might turn out to be a push-over.

"I'm not a stowaway! Neptune helped me get a ride over since I was short on lien! We're students visiting from Haven!" Sun cries out as he uselessly struggles against the Force hold.

Yet each student manages to pull out their school cards at the same time for all to see.

"We have IDs so you know it's official!" Neptune declares in agreement.

With a swift facepalm, Jaune releases them with a mumble, "Just get outta here..."

I have to say, I haven't seen mercy in a long time... especially from a human to a Faunus. That's points in my book. I guess he's not that bad, with or without the Force.

"Why'd you let them go!?" Weiss suddenly cuts in, "That _rapscallion_ and that... oddly _interesting_... young fellow just broke the _law!_"

WHAT did she just call him? Oho, we will have words later...

"Weiss, _hold on_," he replies softly while rubbing his temples, "I know what they're going through. I was a few hundred lien away from having to work part-time in a coffee shop or as a barista in a club to pay my way through Beacon... so cut 'em some slack, 'kay?"

She seems to be about to launch back a fierce volley of reprimands when Ruby quickly pokes her side, "Uh, guys, that detective guy is getting closer... and uh, he did kinda just see us aiding fugitives or something..."

And Yang, who I wouldn't be surprised would be one to have had prior experience in this type of situation, is the first to sound out a call to action.

"Quick, before he gets close enough to identify any of us... _RUN!_"

And by the time the panting detective can get to the scene, all he surely finds is eight settling clouds of dust.

* * *

_Jaune_

PHEW! That was a run!

But now we're all separated. Meh, I'll just give everyone a chance to catch their breath before I start making calls to set up a decent rendezvous point. As I take out my scroll, I'm walking the streets searching for a good spot when I suddenly hit what feels like a lamppost. Hard.

"Ow... I can't believe I did that _again_..." I mumble to myself until I realize I actually hit a _girl_, "Oh."

I jump up in embarrassment and plush myself off before turning back and seeing the girl still on the ground... smiling.

"Sal-u-ta-tions!"

"Um... hello," I reply weakly, "Are you... okay?"

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes...

"I'm _wonderful! _Thank you for asking."

Good! That's a relief... But, uh..

"Do you... wanna get up?" I ask, and I'm sure my bewilderment shows as she actually seems to think about it for a moment.

"Yes!" and doing an impressive full pop-up to standing position, the quirky girl with hair like copper introduces herself, "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi Penny. I'm Jaune," but suddenly feeling something off about her, I let my instincts dig for answers and find it in record time, "And _you're_ not human."

At the accusation, what looks akin to pure dread crosses over her eyes before pulling me in for a hushed whisper, "Y-You... How did you know?"

"I... I just know. I feel it..." It's too tough to explain, but I quickly give up on prying any further for two reasons.

One, she's wierding me out. And two... Despite what I'm looking at, this robot - I think - actually makes a small ripple of it's _own_ in the Force... As if she - or _it_ \- has its own aura!

And to make things even stranger, she's now staring at me... very... intensely.

"You... are taking this extraordinarily well."

I shrug, "Meh, I've seen crazier things, and you seem pretty cool."

"Splendid!" She exclaims happily before continuing, "Then my full name is Penny: Human-Cyborg Relations, the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura!"

Not gonna lie. My jaw drops a little at that.

"That is very cool. So... what are you doing in Vale?"

"I'm here to fight in the tournament," she replies to my disbelief.

"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?"

"I'm combat _ready!_" she confirms with a salute.

"Well good luck to you then... sorry for running into you!" I apologize once more before turning to take my leave, "Take care, Lil' P!"

But just when I turn the corner, believing I'm now able to get back to my day, I nearly run into her again as she asks me a surprise question, "What did you call me?"

You wanna know a better question? How'd you get there so fast!

But all I can stutter out is, "Me? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..."

"You called me 'Lil P'! Does that make me your friend?"

"Uuuum..." Well, I shouldn't be so mean and tell her NO straight to her face, "Uh, yeah, sure! Why not?"

And now I'm looking at an overjoyed Penny who giggles and laughs, "Sen-_sational!_"

And without another word, she continues walking down the street with intermittent chuckles at her good fortune, by the looks of it.

I... have a bad feeling that won't be last I see of her.

* * *

**A/N: ****Oh yeah. Puns****, Star Wars, and a tinge of Ocean's Eleven for you old souls out there, heh ;D This is why I love writing.**

**Anyways, if you thought Jaune and Pyrrha were doing The Deed in the first scene, then you owe me a beer as well! Hm, I should probably link my account to my profile now that I think of it... hehe :) All in all, though, I hope you guys like the chapter! ****More humor than usual but I hope you don't mind!**

**This time, I'm easing my way through what canon I find useful in the RWBY-verse and getting some plot points introduced, so I'm sorry if it seems like not much "happens"... all that action and stuff begins next chapter ;) But until then, know that I think you guys are super awesome! _Jaune Arc: TFU_ is already #3 in most followed fics published in the last month! So cool ^.^**

**Getting in Blake's head. Never easy. Miles and Kerry say it's difficult to write for Blake for a _reason_, but I figure at this point in season one she was still largely cynical, the hopeful idealist within her barely staying afloat amid the pessimism bred from her life experience. And she doesn't talk much. Not to mention that at this point, even with Jaune being different, he's also just a passive interest who lives across the hall.**

**But _how_ does she know about the Force? What about Roman and his plans? Will he and Jaune meet again? All will be revealed in the next chapter (or two)...**

**Also things will be slow in the ship department... With JaunexBlake at least. So stay tuned for more! Fave - Follow - Review if you'd like! :D**

**And as always, Happy Reading!**


	5. The Stray

_**The Stray**_

* * *

Jaune had just finished cursing his luck as he noticed the 'Low Battery' display on his scroll, which was now keeping him from placing the needed calls to get everyone back together after his run-in with his new friend, Penny.

_Why me?_ He kept mentally repeating behind a fairly loud facepalm, _Why does this kind of thing always happen to me!?_

He felt a wave of anger inexplicably rising inside of him, thrashing back and forth as if some internal argument were causing his insides to tear itself apart until finally...

* * *

_Jaune_

AGH! _Where is this coming from!?_

I have to stop and prop myself against a shop wall under the pain... It's like a crazy Death Stalker just pummeled me with its pincers and stabbed me in the stomach with its stinger! I know I'm a little frustrated with my scroll and having had Penny scare me half to death, but seriously? I feel like I'm ready to tear apart the next person I look at!

But taking a few deep breaths to relax, it doesn't take long to realize that these feelings... they're not coming from me.

This anger isn't mine.

Even if that's the case, where on Monty Oum's Remnant are these feelings _coming from!?_ I look up and around and don't see anyone particularly pissed. Not even annoyed, really. And starting to walk again, my mind kinda drifts to Pyrrha...

I mean, I think we've been on the same wavelength for a while now, and it's almost like I can even feel her every move and rush of adrenaline whenever I watch her spar during class! Could... Could I be feeling what she feels now? She _did_ unlock my semblance after all, and if Glynda's right about this ability, me and Pyr may now be connected in more ways than we realize.

It... actually would also explain what I've been feeling lately whenever we catch each other's attention.

It's weird, like a mix between ecstasy and depression, something that makes my heart race and my stomach sink at the same time... a feeling that gives me hope as much as it gives me fear, getting stronger with every waking day... and I sure as heck know _I'm_ not the one feeling it, so maybe it's from her! But if that's true, what would possibly be making her feel so _miserable _lately?

I don't get a chance to think up an answer to my question because another wave of this anger hits me like a pack of Ursae and it REALLY HURTS!

"_Argh!_" I can't hold back any longer, screaming as I fall to my knees in the middle of the street. This one was even stronger than the last one, almost literally jerking the tears outta my eyes!

But this time, I can sense _exactly_ where it's coming from... and I'm not too far away! As I jump up and sprint past a few worried-looking townspeople, I try and think what this could be. Clearly, I'm sensing some serious anger flaring up, which immediately crosses out Pyrrha from the list - she would be able to curb her emotions well enough to keep them from getting so out of control. And as I round the corner, the scene finally starts coming together in front of my eyes...

"So you admit it! The White Fang _is_ just a radical group of terrorists!"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

I'm right on time to see the last of the fireworks as the black-and-white half of team RWBY angrily walks away, leaving behind a very uncomfortable-looking pair of sisters.

"That... sounded really bad," I finally begin as I walk up to Ruby from behind.

"You dunno the _half_ of it... Blake got mad at Weiss for calling that Sun kid mean names for being a Faunus, and Weiss got mad at Blake for getting mad about it!" She replies with a sad sigh, letting her head hang low, "My team is falling apart right in front of me..."

As I watch Yang slowly reach her arm around her sister and pull her into a hug, I tug at the lingering heat within and feel the Force re-enacting every sensation from what just happened to team RWBY inside of me.

Actually Ruby... I do.

* * *

_Jaune_

Later that night, I'm sitting alone in our dorm room while the rest of my team goes down to get dinner. Honestly, I'm not up for eating at the moment.

Thankfully, what was left of team RWBY and I got my team together before heading back to Beacon and going our separate ways... I could tell when Weiss and Blake came back later when I felt a chill down my spine with the memory of the argument flowing through me.

But I didn't move. I sat there, trying to make sense of my Semblance. For most people - as I learned in Glynda's class - when their semblance manifested, that was it. You had your power, you knew how to use it, and you trained with it like another weapon against the Grimm.

But with _me_, I felt like my Semblance wasn't just a tool... it was a muscle. The more I used it, the stronger it seemed to be getting, and it made for longer and longer meditation sessions every week with Miss Goodwitch to make sure my 'presence within the Force', as she started calling it, stayed clouded. Even then, I would've never expected my ability to be this... invasive.

My ears perk up several seconds before the doorknob even begins to turn.

"Knock knock!~" Nora shouts happily as she flings the door wide open.

"Nora, let Jaune rest..." Ren quietly requests as he comes into the room behind her, "And don't eat the rest of the waffles - Pyrrha is specifically saving the last of them for when Jaune's ready to eat."

And as I turn around to see my partner barely getting in the door with a large brown doggie bag that fills my nose with the pleasing scent of waffles, she looks up at the same time and gives me a warm, hopeful smile as she holds up the bag to me.

"Brought you your favorites..."

And there's that feeling again. Like seeing the bright moon rise in the sky in all its beauty, only to despair at its cracks and pieces while wanting nothing more than to put it all back together again.

Women... are _so_ complicated.

"Uh, thanks Pyr," I reply softly, trying to return her smile as best I can so they don't feel so sorry for me, "You're the best friend a guy could ask for!"

Okay, I just complimented her. So _why_ does it suddenly feel like I got stabbed in the heart!? Pyrrhaaa... I'm like _two seconds away_ from asking you-

"Is everything alright?" The sudden question and hand on my shoulder makes me jump in my seat and turn to see my green-eyed partner watching me with a worried look.

See what I mean? On the same wavelength.

"Um, yeah," is all I can bring myself to say at the moment, "I guess today's trip to town took more out of me than I thought."

"And it seems team RWBY had a bit of an altercation as well," Ren adds from his corner of the room as he takes in another forkful of his leftover pancake bites on his bed.

More like nuclear fallout.

"Well, I can only hope they reach a resolution to their troubles soon enough," Pyrrha muses aloud to our teammate before turning her attention back to me, but this time with a pained smile, "...as I do for you as well, Jaune."

I glance at her hand still slowly rubbing small circles on my armor-less shoulder before she pulls it back with a slight blush, as if suddenly not knowing what to do with herself.

"I-I uh," she begins to stutter softly, which is weird cuz that almost never happens, "I'm going to go get ready for bed now. Goodnight, Jaune!"

And as I watch her speedily grab her nightgown and hurry into the closet, I can't help but smirk to myself. Heh, I was right... But what good is knowing what someone's feeling at the moment if you can't figure out _why?_

"Ya know, you really _should _get with the program, Jaune," Nora suddenly says with a knowing smirk in her bed behind mine, me turning around to see Ren on his bed at the opposite corner nodding his head slowly while happily chewing down the last of his pancake bites.

"Wha-"

I'm barely responding when the all-too-familiar feeling hits me again. The anger. I... I don't think its a memory, though. It's happening again!

"A-Agh..." I wince as the sickening feeling of my blood coming to a boil suddenly gets washed over by a sudden sadness, as if remembering some terrible thing from my past. But this is too much. I really need to talk to Ozpin about this ASAP.

"Jaune, are you alright?" Ren asks seriously now as he notices my surely pale face when I stand up in the dimly lit room.

But once again, the anger finally comes back clearer than ever, the source no longer a secret. I've been tuning into their emotions long enough to realize whose feelings I'm feeling.

Blake.

I turn to the door as I can nearly feel her words coming out of my own throat in a burning rage, _WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!_ ...and then a chilling silence.

_Click_

"What's going on?" I see Pyrrha out of the corner of my eye begin as she closes the closet door behind her, now in her pj's.

We must be quite a sight - Ren and Nora blankly staring at me while I glare daggers at the door. But I need to do something and I need to do it now. I shake off the residual anger and turn to my partner with my best doofus grin.

"Ah, you know what? I got it!" I begin as if finally having found my scroll after accidentally locking myself out of my dorm again, "I-I had never started that history paper that Oobleck assigned us and it's due Monday - that must be what's been eating at me all day!"

Seeming to buy it, Ren's eyes widen a bit as he begins to shake his head, "Eesh."

"Yeah," I continue, capitalizing on the moment, "So I think I'm gonna get started on it right now at the library; it's open late tonight, and I'm thinking it's gonna be an all-nighter."

And with good reason. It's supposed to be twelve pages and I've barely put a dent on it. But that's something I can finish on Sunday.

"Would... Would you like any help? Maybe you and I can share some references in the library," Pyrrha recommends cheerily with the idea.

"Uh... Thanks but no thanks, I'd rather sort this one out on my own," I answer as I put my hoody on in front of her, pausing for a second as the thick fabric covers my view of everything and I suddenly feel like my stomach is sinking again... Pyrrha...

"_But_," I add with a genuine smile after putting it and my armor on, wanting to help her feel better, "I definitely think a study session is in order one of these days. We'll knock out the Grimm 'Big Bang Theory' project due in Port's class next week together. You and me, partner!"

It's weird, but she blushes a bit as I put my hand on her bare shoulder reassuringly and give it a light squeeze, "Deal?"

And flashing back a shy, bashful smile, she softly replies, "Deal. Now go get started on it, time isn't kind to those who idle it away!"

I grin and turn to leave the dorm, closing the door behind me as I hitch up my hoodie in preparation for the cool weather outside. And you're right Pyrrha, there's no time to lose.

Thankfully, it doesn't take long to find Blake. With the sensitivity of this new ability, I'm quickly learning how to track an emotional trail like a hound traces a scent... a trail that leads me to the statue in the courtyard. Now, I'm not really the sneaky type, and I'm sure that at any other time Blake would see me coming a mile away, but as I suddenly feel myself practically drowning in a wave of sadness I can see why she wouldn't care to see if she's been followed.

But why is she staring between the Hunters above the rock and the dying beast of Grimm on the bottom?

"Oh..." I whisper to myself in wide-eyed revelation as she lifts a hand to her bow and takes it off, revealing a second set of ears in the dimly-lit night. She's... She's a Faunus!

Alright, her terrible comparison of Grimm and Faunus to the side, it's time to make my presence known. I walk up behind her softly and do my best to make light of the situation.

"They're a very nice color. It suits you," I say shortly, causing her to jump a bit and turn to look up at me.

"Jaune... P-Please don't tell anyone else," she pleads softly with wide, watery amber eyes that almost glow in the night like a cat's would.

"Look, I promise-"

"You called it."

Blake and I turn to see two more guys barely a few yards away, the blue-haired one conceding to the monkey-tailed one who now speaks up in response.

"I _knew_ she'd look better without the bow!" To which both guys fist-bump.

Blake, however, doesn't seem so amused. Her eyes giving off that stony glare that had honestly intimidated me throughout the entire year now shifts between all three of us.

"Why are you all here," she begins sternly before looking at me and softening her expression a bit, "Well... you I understand. You just followed your instincts."

A bit surprised at her accurate reasoning, I just babble the first thing that comes to mind, "We-Well, yeah, I guess? I was just following you."

"And I was just following _him_ following you," Sun adds.

"And _I_ was just following _him_ following _him_ following you," Neptune continues after pointing at Sun, myself and then Blake.

"That was pretty good."

"I know. That's why I get all the cool one-liners and not you," the blue-haired student replies with a taunting smirk, to which Sun deadpans.

"Okay, this is me offering you an olive basket. And this is you spitting in my face."

"Oh, is that your face?"

And as Blake and I quietly watch the duo get into another shoving match argument, I turn to her and get her attention with a light nudge.

"Okay, you were right. I followed you here using my semblance because I want to help, if I can. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but if you wanna get outta here for a while-"

"I _know_ I'm right," Blake cuts me off with a small smirk by holding up a finger to shush me, "The Force is strong with you, there's no doubt about it..."

She then pauses a bit, looking between myself and our two new acquaintances as if mentally deciding something and looking back at me with a sigh, "And I suppose surrounding myself with testosterone for a few hours will help me detox from all this estrogen drama going on lately."

And suddenly stopping their argument, Neptune peeks over at us with a suggestion already in mind, "We can walk around Vale for a bit to get to know the place-"

"And I know a great breakfast cafe we can go to once it opens later!" Sun adds joyfully before inexplicably narrowing his eyes at Blake, "But just stay outta my cereal."

Blake and I blink at his words and trade a confused glance with each other while Neptune drops to the floor crying his eyes out in laughter.

* * *

_Blake_

It's been a long night. Long, but refreshing.

As we now sit in the cafe Sun recommended, a waiter comes by to take our orders, which each of us happily gives.

"I'll have a coffee. With milk, cream and sugar," I begin as my turn comes along, "But hold the coffee."

The waiter - a fellow Faunus himself - merely blinks, looks at my wiggling bow, and back at me with an understanding smile, "Of course, young lady. I'll have it coming right up!"

Nodding my thank you to the kind man, I turn back to the conversation at hand and enjoy the ensuing back-and-forth with silent contentment as Sun and Neptune continue elaborating on how they stole 160 million lien from a prominent Vacuo casino under careful planning from Neptune's uncle, Danny Ocean.

"The Bellagio..." Jaune states incredulously, "The _Bellagio_, with only three guys?"

"Well, no," Neptune corrects, "there were eight others in on it, too. And we each played a part. They called us _Ocean's Eleven_."

"I have trouble seeing what part _you_ two would've played in Mister Ocean's plan," I can't help hedging with a raised brow in amusement.

Sun scoffs, "_Well_, in case you couldn't tell already, we're grifters. We _grift_. Pretty useful when you need a distraction."

"But didn't you say that after that, you weren't allowed entry into Vacuo anymore?" Jaune asks with evident perplexion.

"Nope! Just Sun here," Neptune declares before continuing with a self-satisfied pop of his jacket collar, "Which is why _I'm_ the handsome lead with the cool speeder and its awesome name and _he's_ just my big dumb hairy sidekick!"

"Hey!" Sun retorts hotly, "Firstly, I'm not hairy! And secondly, I came up with the name for _our_ speeder!"

"Oh yeah? I could literally go _Solo_ at any moment if I wanted, and leave you here with no other choice but to become an exotic male dancer who goes by the stage name _Chewy!_"

And as Jaune and I watch - yet again - as the two partners engage in another argument with its fair share of shoves, I can't help but chuckle at their antics. But taking the opportunity, I also turn a sideways glance at the blue-eyed blonde sitting beside me.

Jaune Arc. Definitely has been surprising me since initiation day, and I find it ever more astounding how he only continues to grow stronger. It's just like Tukson said - one day, someone would come around to bring balance to this crazy world, someone strong enough to stand their ground despite oppression and maintain their just values when facing the merciless cruelty Remnant had to offer outside these kingdom walls. I can only imagine what such a person would be able to accomplish with Human-Faunus relations... could this admittedly goofy classmate of mine possibly be the answer?

I sit back with the cup of warm sweet milk the waiter has just brought us as I break my glance-turned-stare at Jaune. Thankfully, he hasn't noticed. And as I slowly delve deeper into my thoughts and close my eyes, I can only wonder where Tukson might be right now.

Having been found out as a Force-sensitive among the White Fang ranks, he had no other choice but to defect. He was my figurative father when I first came into the organization, a bibliophile who shared with me his passtimes until they became my own. And in recent years, he'd become more and more disillusioned with the increasingly misguided principles of the White Fang and implored me to change my views and join him to find a way to steer them back to their original ideals while he trained his semblance for the strength needed to do so. But alas, he was found. And here we are now.

"What's wrong?"

The soft voice nearly startles me into spilling my milk, but I maintain control and open my eyes to find the Arc staring at me with a worried expression. The sudden attention is somewhat uncomfortable, but at the same time... whatever.

I sigh before responding in my usual monotony, "Weiss, school... _people_..."

"...You mean _humans_."

Ugh. Clearly, he's trying to read me with his semblance. I'm not about to make it _that_ easy.

"Does it matter?"

"Well, not unless there's more to what you than meets the eye. I don't know why, but I sense so much anger in you, Blake..." I blink in surprise as he continues, "And sadness... And guilt."

I can already feel my mouth slowly hanging open at his words... he's _certainly_ much more Force-sensitive than I realized if he's able to sense a faunus' emotions as well. But expecting an accusation or some form of berating for having left my team, he surprises me yet again when he places his hand on my forearm and continues.

"I know I said you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to... But I'm here in case you ever need to, 'kay?"

Who am I kidding? ...Of course I want to talk. But what would I say? You want to know who I am? You want to know the _truth?_ At this point, I practically wanted to yell it at him!

I'm Blake Belladonna, ex-elite black-ops task force striker for the White Fang after having spent nearly my whole life within their organization! I wanted to tell him the history of my family, my days as a 'terrorist', and my _true_... gift. How much I loved my father, a known inter-kingdom Hunter, and hated my mother for mercilessly dragging him into increasingly frequent and dangerous missions for the money and with no regard to myself until one day they simply didn't come home!

How I was left in Tukson's care in the White Fang instead of landing in an orphanage, and how hard I tried for _years_ to make the world a better place, peacefully protesting until new leadership sought more. And I, like a _fool_, left Tukson and came under a new mentor who nearly shaped me into the killers that the White Fang was becoming!

How Tukson began to train me in the ways of the Force as I sought shelter from Adam's sporadic bouts of bull-headed rage, teaching me to sense the energy around me when he discovered my true ability. Yes, my semblance created shadows of myself, copies I could control as one. But I never expected that this control could affect people _other_ than myself as well, combining our minds with meditation into a single entity for battle.

I had begun using my battle meditation with Adam so we'd survive our increasingly dangerous missions, fighting as one. But the ability cut both ways. While giving him the ability to sense my emotions and fight alongside me in tandem, his emotions leaked back into me as well, increasing my anger and hate toward all humans. And when Tukson defected, that was it. One final mission with Adam - the greatest dust heist to date with the robbery of an entire train-load - and I was gone, severing my bond with him in the process.

And I'm not exactly ready to open my heart up to anyone like that again.

So I do what I do best as I reply - distract and evade, "Thank you. But as you can tell, talking isn't my strong suit. And I don't doubt you can sense quite a bit, which leads me to wonder how you've yet to figure out your own partner..."

I can't help a small smirk as I notice him unexpectedly raise a brow in confusion. So he truly _doesn't_ have any idea how Phrrha feels about him! Well, I knew I was going to enjoy this.

"Whaddaya mean, Blake?"

"The unfailing altruism? The repressed hope? The warm smile with sad eyes? Call it... a woman's intuition," I reply with a smug air.

"Or should I call it something _more_..." he replies with eyes narrowed at me. Rats... he's good.

I muster my unfailing expression of innocence as I reply, making the most use I can of my bright eyes that Monty gave me, "Jaune, what could you possibly mean-"

But with pure instinct, I suddenly shoot my hand up to catch a flying banana peel coming in from my blind spot. I turn to see a frozen Sun and Neptune staring back at me with hands at each other's throats, at which I ensure to give them an especially stern glare for their insolence.

"And there goes that weird look again!" Sun shouts in exasperation.

I'm about to launch my rebuttal when I suddenly feel my entire four-legged seat turn with a loud screeching noise so that I'm facing a somewhat-miffed Jaune.

"Blake... can you use the Force?"

What do I tell him? 'Oh yes, Jaune. Not to mention my semblance gives me the added ability to combine our consciousness' in battle and the ability to sense other Force-users in the area. You and I are the only ones in Beacon's student body, Tukson and I were the only ones in the White Fang, and _oh_, I'm pretty sure a handful of our Professors can use it, too. Did I mention I was part of the White Fang?'

_No... just no. _Not today, at least.

"If I _could_, would you even need to ask?" I challenge with a snide question of my own, then turning to look at the other two guys at the table while pointing at my bow with an innocent smile, "Cat-like reflexes."

"Not bad for a girl in the middle of a lover's quarrel," Sun quips from the side.

"Ours or yours, _Chewy?_" I reply with another glare.

"Ahaha! Good one!" Neptune begins laughing again before promptly receiving a banana peel to the face. Courtesy from me.

I turn back to Jaune, resuming my innocent smile, but he doesn't seem to fall for it. He opens his mouth to continue what I'm sure would turn into an interrogation before the alarm on his scroll goes off, bringing his attention to his pocket.

"Ah well," he begins, "They'll be serving breakfast at Beacon soon. My team will be waiting for me."

And as he stands up, he makes no pretense of beckoning me to join him as he places his corresponding share of lien on the table.

"Just... come back when you're ready, Blake. Please," Jaune continues with the kind of genuinely concerned look I haven't seen since the last time I saw Tukson, "And stay safe, alright?"

I turn my gaze to my other two companions with a raised brow.

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle these two."

Jaune snorts with amusement before taking leave, leaving me with a very intrigued Sun and Neptune.

"_So_..." they both begin in unison, simultaneously propping their heads on both arms over the table like toddlers waiting for story time.

Well, talking with Jaune really _has_ left me wanting to talk to someone at least about something. _Anything_. And I'm sure Sun may know about the White Fang.

"So..." I echo, "You wanted to know more about me..."

* * *

_Sun_

Okay... so it's been an interesting convo so far. Turns out, this oddly hot chick was once some harbinger of doom-type member of a group of stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want.

The White Fang.

It's scary, and creepy, and kind of a turn-on, but I don't wanna butt in on some other dude's efforts. Neptune and I have a firm belief in our Bronyhood Code, and I'm pretty sure _No Cockblocking_ is in the top five. And besides, she seems like she's got a lot of emotional baggage right now... but hey, that's why we're here, to help the lady feel better about life and stuff!

"So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little. black. bow."

Hah! She did the bow-wiggling thing again. That's cute!

At my side though, I notice Neptune coming to terms with everything she just said as we pay the bill and leave the cafe, "So... have you told your friends any of this?"

She just hangs her head and says nothing. I gotta admit, I kinda feel bad for her.

So as we walk the streets again, I try and liven the mood as I leisurely raise my hands behind my head for a good stretch, "So, what's the plan now?"

She seems to think about it before answering, "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before."

Then Neptune stops walking, suddenly widening his eyes, "What if they _did?_"

Oho, I know that look! The look of _genius!_

I stand in front of him with a wide smile, ready to put our minds to work, "Aw yeh! Hit me with it, bro! Brainstorming time!"

He smiles too as we make the magic happen, "I mean... the only way to prove that they _didn't_ do it..."

"Is to go to the place where they would most _likely_ go to if they _were_ to do it..."

"And not find them there!" Neptune exclaims in our victory, "Right?"

"Right!" I reply as we celebrate with a bro-tastic high five!

"The only thing is, I've no idea where that would be."

Way to kill the magic, Blake. But you have a point.

"Well, while I was on the ship," I slowly recall, "I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

Her brows shoot up in curiosity. Like a cat.

"How huge?"

"_Huge_. Big Schnee Company freighter."

"Are you sure?" She asks flatly, to which Neptune scoffs.

"Pfft! Are you _sure_ that Sun's abs are flat enough to use as an ironing board!?" He cries out at the obvious fact. Which is a _yes_. Cuz I'm _cut_.

She merely glances down at my chiseled wonders and looks back up at me with a shrug, "Meh. I've seen better."

Wha... _What nerve! That milk-sipping creep!_

"Alright, alright," I hedge, pulling up a Beacon scroll and searching the student phone book for a certain Jaune Arc, "let's call for a fourth opinion..."

I watch as Blake snaps her gaze at her vest pockets, fumbling around for her scroll before angrily noticing the initials _BB_ on the one I'm holding.

"Hey! How did you-"

"Shh! I'm on the phone!" I hush her as I put the tiny device to my ear.

It's probably the 5s model. Psh! It's all about dem 6 plus model scrolls _now_, baby!

'_H-Hello? Blake?_' the unsure voice comes through the other line.

"'Eeeeey! Jauney-Boy! JB! It's Wukong here saying, WAT UP!"

'...'

"Uh, you there?"

'_Where's Blake and why are you calling me?_'

"Oh yeah," I reply, figuring a quick explanation will do the trick, "She's right here, dude. But we're calling you so you can settle a bet. All you gotta do is say _Warthog _for innocent or _Puma_ for guilty, 'kay?"

'...'

"Great! So, let's say the White Fang have been stealing loads of Dust for a while now, which must be _reeeally_ annoying since it takes so long. But _now_, word comes in about a giganto shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas, ripe for the picking. So tell me... Does that thing kinda look like a big cat to you?"

'_And why does that concern us, exactly?_'

"Oh, cuz Blake here used to be one of them," Neptune answers matter-of-factly before realizing his mistake and getting another glare from her.

"Uhh... yeah. Which means we're now the only ones who know about it. Which means we gotta stop 'em."

'..._Alright. Just let her know that Ruby's team and my team have planned to go out looking for her this afternoon, so we'll need to do this quietly. I'll slip away from the group and join you guys as soon as you find the right dock._'

"Al-RIIIGHT!" I cheer into the phone, "Oops, got some spit on the screen-"

And before I know it, Blake swipes the phone outta my hands and wipes it on her shorts before ending the conversation with him. Jerk.

* * *

_Neptune_

"Here, kitty kitty kitty," that d-bag in a bowler hat snickers as I watch him unleash an onslaught of explosions from his cane at Blake from a distance.

"Well that _sucked_," Sun begins next to me with a bunch of fruit and a fishing rod in his arms, "This is gonna end up just like that bar fight that one time at Haven."

"Which bar fight?" My eyes suddenly widen with the memory of the one where Scarlet tried to threaten an entire biker gang that were all armed to the teeth, "Ohhh, 'The Forest Moon of Endor' Bar..."

"Yep, so go sneak up on the group of morons from behind while I distract that bowler-hat man!"

As we get down from the crate we're on to act out our plan, I can only hope that Blake sent a message to that Jaune dude. He looks like he could seriously jack things up if he really wanted to.

I finally had gotten into position behind the small gang of the weird guys in the white masks when I noticed something hit the bowler-hat guy's head in the distance. Hard.

"Ugh! What-" he turned around, but nothing was there.

"...the..." his voice trailed off, but only to get hit in the head again by another object in the same spot.

"Urrgh!" He turned around again, expecting something to be there... but finding nothing, he turned back and took a step forward towards the crate Blake was hiding behind when he slipped on what I realized was a banana peel and hit his head as he fell backward onto the ground.

I realized Blake had been watching the whole thing behind her crate and she couldn't help but laugh, hiding her chuckles behind her hand. Heck, even _I_ was trying so hard not to laugh at how Sun did the classic Apple, Apple, Banana move on the guy that I didnt realize where I was walking.

_SNAP!_

I look down in horror as I see the twig I just stepped on give away my position, drawing the attention of several creepy white mask dudes in front of me. They all quickly pull out all sorts of painful-looking weapons. How on Remnant does a stupid _twig_ end up on the _docks!?_

"AW COME ON! _This really IS like the Forest Moon of Endor Bar!_"

Even the bowler hat guy growls at me with a scowl, "Argh! Why you-" and cuts himself off as he and I hear giggles from above and he looks up at the sky, only to have something wet land on his face.

Wet, alive, and flopping.

"A... _fish!?_"

"IT'S A TUNA!" I hear Sun yell as the horde of creepers in white masks converge on me, "GERONIMO, MOTHERF-"

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 5 fresh off the presses! To answer many of your reviews, several aspects of the Force and how it works in the RWBY-verse have finally been explained, along with a good idea on how many people can actually use it. Up to this point, only four Masters are known: Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, and Roman's unknown master. Tukson... is explained later. So stay tuned to find out! ;)**

**Also, as a heads up, the next chapter will be a non-POV chapter in the most part. Why? _Cuz there's gonna be a stupidly huge fight and some serious SITH is about to go down!_ (Hehe, see what I did there? Star Wars pun :3) And remember about what I said about Jaune's archetypes? Yeah... It's for a reason...**

**But I won't spoil it! So I hope you liked the chapter, along with the Star Wars and Ocean's 11 references, and blatant - and I mean BLATANT - allusion to a certain Ragekong at the end, heh. **

**Please feel free to fave, follow and review to show your support! It means so much you guys and I appreciate the love! :D**

**Oh, and yeah... _NO LUCA NO!_**

**And as always, Happy Reading!**


	6. The Phantom Menace

**_The Phantom Menace_**

* * *

"A... _fish!?_"

"IT'S A TUNA! GERONIMO, MOTHERF-"

"_Father_ of Monty, NO!" Neptune yells as he careens through the air having been thrown by the blows of his own fight, suddenly crashing into Sun before he can engage Roman and tumbling off to the side.

Roman merely cocks his head at the two teens in a heap as he hoists his cane into firing position, "Well _that_ was convenient. See you in another life, Sea Monkeys..."

"Don't count on it!"

Much to his surprise, Blake quickly appears and engages the criminal in close-range combat, becoming a blur of afterimages as she slashes both blades at Roman who backs away and deflects each would-be blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds.

_How is he even moving so fast!? _She mentally hedges as dozens of blows go blocked by the presumably average thief.

Meanwhile, Sun and Neptune are back to back fighting against a small horde of White Fang gunmen nearby, each one covering the other as hails of bullets and blades attempt to cut them down.

"Left!"

Neptune opens his energy trident and unleashes a powerful energy blast that leaves at least a half dozen men on the ground incapacitated as if by a giant taser while Sun engages several blade-wielders on the right with skilled martial artistry.

"Xingzhemen! Monkey fist!" He cries out as he manages to dodge more slashes and pummel a soldier with a dual-fist blow to the chest, confronting and defeating several more men with strikes and kicks until he rolls out of the way.

"Switch!" Neptune exclaims as more armed soldiers arrive, turning to his right to fight more men with his weapon in trident form while Sun approaches the second and larger group on the left.

Pulling out a collapsible red staff, Sun quickly uses this to beat down on each opponent that nears him, falling each one in a single flaming blow on contact when he twirls and even creating a scorching shockwave as he goes down doing an acrobatic windmill and slams the staff to the ground to beat the last of them.

"Tai Shing this time?" Neptune asks sideways at the panting Faunus as he blasts the last of the first wave with his powerful weapon.

"Meh, I'm mixin it up this time. But we can seriously use some backup right about now," the monkey-tailed fighter replies as he watches Blake continuing her assault before ending their reprieve and being set on by more of the White Fang.

Several yards away, Blake continues to dash, hop over, and slide around Roman to try and find a weak spot. But her enemy, while barely deflecting the attacks, lands a few hits on her until one final beating with his cane causes her to go down.

"Ya know, I can't help feeling there's something _different_ about you, kitty," He remarks as he walks closer to his downed opponent, "At first I thought skill, then maybe spunk..."

The crosshairs tip of his cane pops open as he aims his cane at the downed girl's head, her eyes glaring daggers at her skilled adversary as he narrows his own eyes at her, "But I think we both know by now that there's a little more _to_ it, isn't there..."

But before he can pull the trigger-

"Yeah there is, and that's _me_, you moron!"

Roman turns to the blonde figure atop a nearby crate and throws his arms up in frustration, "Are people going to keep _interrupting_ me before I have my moment!? At this rate, I'm never gonna get to kill anyone tonight!"

But to his surprise, the shrouded blonde thrusts his arm to the side, telekinetically sending the criminal flying against a crate in the distance. Jumping down, he walks over to the fallen raven-haired girl and offers his hand to pick her up.

"Jaune..." Blake mumbles as he steps into the light of the dockside lamppost over her.

"Just... dropping in, heh."

She smiles and takes his hand to help herself up, gauging the situation as Sun and Neptune expertly handle the mob of soldiers while Roman comes to at the distant crate.

"How good are you with that?" She asks Jaune flatly, glancing at his sheathed sword.

"Alright, I guess. Better than when I got here."

"Good. We must cut this beast off at the head," and without another word, they dash towards the recovering criminal.

Readjusting his bowler hat, Roman now stands and trains a steeled gaze on Jaune as he recognizes the approaching blonde, "_You_..."

_BAM! BAM! BAM!_

And with several discharges from Melodic Cudgel, he holds back the blonde knight who's forced to find cover long enough to be set upon by Blake, dual-wielding Gambol Shroud and trying to gain the upper hand to no avail before being thrown back towards Jaune.

Catching her in midair with the Force, the young Arc pulls her around the corner of a crate and sets her down beside him before speaking up.

"You use the Mistral Ataru combat form!"

Blinking at him, Blake quickly puts two and two together and smirks, "That's one thing the Mistralis got right, yes. Pyrrha taught you?"

"Heh, yeah," Jaune replies, scratching the back of his head, "She's more of a Makashi user but I don't know what I like quite yet..."

"Oh _kiiids_, I'm wait-ing!" the pretentious voice calls out from the main clearing at the dock.

Jaune and Blake trade glances before nodding in unison, "Together."

Dashing around the corner of the crate, Blake becomes a blur of shadows as she rapidly advances on the cane-wielder who fires his weapon repeatedly at her. This of course, to distract him from the blonde who now leaps clear over the crate with one bound, sword poised overhead to strike.

"Yaaaaah!"

_KANNNG!_

At the last moment, Roman blocks the blow from the heavier weapon but is pushed back as he's now assaulted by three blades. Twirling his cane at unbelievable speeds, he practically creates a shield with his rapidly spinning weapon as nearly all their attacks are completely deflected and his growing laughter becomes more audible.

"Ehehe, two to one, how about _those_ odd-YEOW!"

He doesn't expect Jaune to pull out a shield and jam it into the cane's trajectory, giving Blake a large enough window of opportunity to send him flying back with a solid strike to the torso. They run over to finish the attack but are suddenly halted by what feels like an invisible wall that immediately throws both students to the ground.

"Ergh, you know, I _really_ hate to have to play my high cards," Roman begins as he slowly stands, wincing as he places a hand to his waist where Blake's sheath cut through coat and cloth and withdrawing it with trails of blood, "But you're both going to pay for that."

"You're a Force-user!" Blake growls angrily as she and Jaune get to their feet, his skill with the cane now explained.

"That _and_ some!" he replies with a wide grin and cruel laughter as he clicks a small red button on his cane, causing a bright red-orange glow to envelop all of it past the handle.

And closing the distance between them with an incredible leap, Roman comes down on Blake before Jaune can even react, cackling as he literally breaks his way through Blake's defenses with Melodic Cudgel by slicing _through_ her blades. But before he can make contact between light-blade and skin, Roman's attack is stopped by the shining blade of Crocea Mors.

He glances at the blade that holds firm against his formidable weapon before turning to the blonde, "_Interesting_..."

And without a further thought, he then viciously Force-pushes Blake several dozen yards away with his free hand before surprising Jaune with a brilliant electric attack, sending him through the air to land atop a small building nearby.

"Uuugh... did _not_ see that one coming..." Jaune begins slowly, laid out on his back as he glances at his scorched chestplate before a shadow comes over him.

"Jaune, are these people your friends?"

Looking up behind him, Jaune sees the upside-down face of the person standing over him.

"Yeah Penny. But you should probably stay out of this."

"Hey you up there!" Roman calls out from below, "Yeah you, with the baby blues! You dead? Do me a favor and cry out in pain if you're dying, that way I know!"

Getting up slowly with a scowl, Jaune walks over to the edge of the roof and glares at the smug criminal.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but we're going to put an end to your little operation!"

But Roman merely raises both arms, and as if on cue, several whirring engines are heard coming above Jaune and Penny, who joins him by the edge of the roof.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation, kiddo!" Roman exclaims proudly before noticing the girl next to Jaune, "Oh look, you phoned a friend!~"

Now glaring at Roman herself, Penny notices several White Fang soldiers approaching Blake's fallen and unarmed figure and prepares to leap.

"Penny, wait! Stop!" Jaume cries out, raising his hand in a futile attempt to stop her.

"Don't worry, Jaune," she looks back at him and smiles with a salute as her backpack mechanically opens, "I'm combat ready!"

And from its dark depths comes a single sword that extends and multiplies into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, she sends three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeds to fling the swords at one enemy, impale another to a wall, create a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she throws to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.

"Now _that's_ what I call backup!" Sun remarks as he holds a helpless White Fang member by the collar before knocking him out cold with a face-jab.

"Grr..." Roman growls as he turns his attention to the new threat, eyes blazing with murderous intent before nearly being blindsided by the furious knight.

"Oh no, buddy. You're _mine!_"

Coming at him with sword and shield bared after landing next to Roman, Jaune begins a wildly powerful assault with his weapons, not precise enough to break through Torchwick's defenses but strong enough to get him to abandon his twirling tactic.

Deflecting Jaune's wide arcs, Roman would attempt to fire at him repeatedly only to be blocked by the shield, each opponent lunging, parrying and riposting each other's blows in their similar forms of combat before the criminal finally gets a strike through with his superheated cane. Slicing off Jaune's chestplate, Roman capitalizes on the opportunity by hitting him with another blast of electricity which sends him flying a few feet away.

Getting up quicker this time, much to Roman's surprise, Jaune glances over at Blake who's using what's left of her blade and sheath as shortswords against the White Fang alongside Penny and the guys.

_You know what, forget this,_ Jaune mentally decides as he collapses his shield in his hand and regrips it by its thick leather beltstrap like a hilt, _This guy's going down._

Approaching Roman again, now dual-wielding his blade and collapsed shield on either side in a low-guard stance, Jaune speeds up his closing and engages him once more in a duel. It's at this moment, in the face of this new and formidable opponent, that Roman hatches a single and most sinister idea.

"Not bad, kid!" Roman exclaims as he finds himself beginning to falter under the blonde's increasingly powerful attacks, each slash reciprocated with flailing but devastating counters from Jaune's two weapons, "Wouldn't you consider that _maybe_ you're on the wrong side?"

"_Never!_" Jaune shouts in his rage, his bright white aura flaring as he blocks a slash of the light-bladed saber with this sword-like sheath and slashes across Roman's chest with his sword before Force-pushing him so hard that the man goes flying into a large crate crane some distance away.

But any celebration is cut short as three bullheads appear over the battle and open fire, Jaune dodging showers of bullets as he dashes back towards Penny and Blake.

"Blake, you and Penny go take care of the White Fang with Neptune and Sun! I'll take care of the-"

_RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-PANG-PANG-PANG!_

A sudden stream of gunfire suddenly erupts into their conversation but is deflected by Penny's swords which she organizes into a shield before launching two of them into the wall behind her, trailing strings that pull her back as well.

"...uhh, okay. Blake, help Sun and Neptune. Penny and I will take care of the ships."

Jaune watches in awe as Penny's swords swirl around her again, commanding them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light.

At this, a sweaty Neptune pauses his onslaught for a moment to tap Sun as they finish off the second wave of soldiers, each one now looking at the display with growing excitement as Blake approaches.

"Duuude," Sun begins, eyes widening as the ball grows to epic proportions, "That's _so_ Dragonball Z..."

"Like Sheila would say at a time like this..." Neptune adds with a knowing smile at Sun as Blake watches on the side.

She promptly facepalms as they both fist pump the air and exclaim in unison, "FIRING MAIN CANNON!"

_BOOOOOM!_

And with a punching action, several bright lasers crack the pavement when Penny fires at the transports which slices two of them in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and - unfortunately for Blake, Sun and Neptune - quickly join the fight. But now along with several dozen men in black suits and red shades as well.

Penny turns to the third Bullhead and is about to fire her swords at it before receiving a light squeeze on her shoulder from a smirking Jaune.

"Don't worry, I got this one," Jaune begins as he sheathes his weapons, "Besides, can't let you go having _all_ the fun!"

Standing back, Penny watches as the blonde knight takes a wide stance in front of the remaining Bullhead - larger than the rest, already carrying a dust crate and armed with missiles instead of machine guns - that locks on to its target. Firing four of the deadly weapons, Jaune's aura flares around his hands as he deflects them into nearby vacant buildings before he reaches out towards the ship. Clenching his fists shut, the entire hull of the aircraft visibly dents and warps under his control as he tugs the entire Bullhead under the pull of the Force.

Stunned, Blake turns back to see Jaune yell in exertion and literally _pull_ the ship out of the sky with a mighty downward swing of both arms... and for the first time she can remember in a long time, she's striken with pure, unmitigated awe as the aircraft crashes into a stack of crates, causing a huge explosion as a result.

Satisfied with his work, Jaune glances at the trio in the distance fighting off the last few dozen of the many soldiers and henchmen that had been brought to secure the Dust before turning to Penny.

"You surprised us, Penny. And I thank you. Let's go help out the guys and after that check whether that jerk in the bowler hat died yet."

Penny gives a happy salute as she unhooks her swords from the wall with her mental commands, "Yes sir, Jau-uuugahguuah..."

"Penny? ...Penny, what's wrong!" Jaune cries out as her voice suddenly dies down mid-sentence before convulsing briefly and being thrown against the wall by a _very_ peeved Roman.

"Jaune, look out!" Sun shouts as Roman quickly shoots a hanging crate from overhead, forcing Jaune to tumble forward to avoid being crushed by it and effectively now cut off from immediate aid.

And with an angry yell, Roman then lifts an arm at another nearby crate and lifts it through the air like a toy before slamming it on the ground behind him and causing a massive explosion that quickly engulfs the crate next to it, the crate behind Jaune, and the building on its other side in flames, surrounding the two Force-users in a ring of infernal fire.

Looking over at Penny's powerless form to make sure she's out of harm's way, Jaune turns his attention to his opponent with a spiteful scowl.

"You _didn't_ have to do that!"

"Oh please!" Roman spits back, clearly fed up with the whole ordeal as Jaune notices blood still trickling onto his white coat, "You well know she isn't even a real person!"

"That's not the point!"

As Jaune reaches down to unsheath his sword, he's surprised to see Roman lean on his cane and begin to laugh.

"Hah! You really aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are ya kid!" He states loudly, "I could've _killed_ you and your little Breakfast Club on several ocassions, yet I _didn't_. Wanna know why?"

"Cuz you're an impotent prick?"

Roman scoffs, "Cute, but no. As it turns out, _you're_ more valuable than you realize."

Jaune is somewhat taken aback by the suspicious comment, narrowing his eyes at the criminal, "Oh yeah? How do you figure that?"

"Oho, they haven't told you, have they," Roman begins once more, closing the distance between him and Jaune cautiously as he piques the boy's curiosity, "Those oh-so-self-righteous Professors at that academy of yours... Haven't told you about the true scope of your power."

"You don't know anything about them!" Jaune shouts, ready to take out his sword once more, to which Roman raises his hands placatingly.

"Oh but I do! Lemme guess, all they have you doing is menial, tedious little exercises which you've likely nearly mastered by now, telling you to rely on thought instead of emotion..." He smirks to himself as he sees the blonde's face soften under the veracity of his growing list, "and I bet they've_ even _gone so far as to help you 'cloud' your presence in the force!"

Dumbstruck, Jaune continues listening as the man in the bowler hat drives his point home.

"Well I've got _news_ for ya, bud! They're holding you back! Teaching you nothing and grooming you to think like a robot without actually using what you _feel_ to give yourself TRUE strength with the Force!"

"T-They'd never!" Jaune retorts weakly, unable to deny the facts that had been presented which in his case were indeed true.

"Well _think_ about it, kid," Roman adds as he dares to step closer, now less than ten or so feet away, "They keep you in the dark, they don't let you explore your potential, and if anything, they want you to conform to their standards. Tell me, why do all you Hunters have such intricate weapons?"

Jaune, caught off guard by the side-handed question, slowly shakes his head as he rummages for the best response, "To fight the Grimm..."

"Really?" Roman continues as he takes another step closer, "Because if you ask me, I'd say those bony piles of tar are pretty darn _stupid_, dontcha think? So what's with the overkill?"

And as if to prove his point further, he lifts both arms up in frustration as he turns and gives his back to Jaune - further confusing the boy as it seems that the man is clearly fine with giving him an opening of attack and must not want to fight - before shouting at the skies.

"And _why_ _on Monty Oum's Remnant_ would your bat-crazy academies focus on sparring and fighting other _people_ in matches and tournaments if extinguishing the Grimm is the main _focus!?_"

As the burning fires rage on around the equally fiery man, Jaune's mind is overridden with conflicting answers as he tries to pick out the most logical one, "It's... It's so that we're prepared-"

"-To fight a _WAR!_" Roman finishes as he unexpectedly spins and pushes the open end of Melodic Cudgel up against Jaune's exposed throat.

Jaune gulps as he realizes his mistake, already cursing himself for having stopped to listen to this lunatic as Roman holds his cane in its killing strike, but is immensely surprised - and relieved - when the man in the bowler hat lowers his weapon with a chuckle.

"They won't let you develop your power fully. And they won't tell you why. Your precious academy hasn't just lied to _you_... They've lied to everyone." At this point, he then steps forward and puts a hand on Jaune's shoulder, looking him in the eye as he finishes, "There's a war coming, son. So tell me, do you _really_ wanna be on the side that won't even tell you what you're fighting _for?_"

At this, all Jaune can do is wordlessly blink at the seemingly well-meaning man.

"I wouldn't kill any of you, no. The less bloodshed before the war, the better," Roman then glances over at Penny, "Even _she'll_ be alright. She was threatening to kill my men with that blast and I was forced to protect our own. I sincerely apologize."

Finally recovering from his mental debate, Jaune takes a hesitant step back, squinting at the criminal with a final question in mind, "Then why steal all this Dust?"

Roman raises his cane to point at the massive emblem on the crates amid the fire, a visual contradiction of an icy snowflake engulfed in roaring flame.

"Many people plan to make a profit from this war. From every kingdom. And it's our duty to make sure that never happens and that Remnant stays as it is now!"

"Well what will you use it for?"

At this, Roman smiles, glancing down at Jaune's weapon that held up so well against his cane as he does, "Protection. Look, let me tell you something you don't know, as a token of goodwill. That sword of yours reminds me a lot of the one my boss has... Have you ever checked to see if there's a Dust crystal inside?"

Jaune looks down at Crocea Mors in perplexion and returns his gaze to Roman while shaking his head.

"Didn't think so. But you'll find it in the hilt. You're smart enough, I'm sure you'll find it and figure out what it does!"

And as he's speaking, a final Bullhead appears over them, hovering over the flaming building beside the pair.

"Well, kid, that's my ride!" Roman exclaims as the side door opens on the craft that's several dozen feet from the ground, "Tell you what, come meet me after you realize what you're truly capable of. Tomorrow... at a warehouse in the industrial district."

"How will I know which one?" Jaume asks uncertainly.

Roman grins as he readjusts his hat and lights a cigar, "Use your instincts. Trust your feelings, kid."

And without another word, he leaps up the entire distance between him and the open door on the side of the craft in one bound, hanging off the side of the Bullhead and saluting Jaune before turning to glance at the six more students that had appeared at the docks and were wrapping up their victory over the White Fang soldiers and Junior's men with glyphs and explosions. And one of them even gleefully swinging a giant hammer.

He shakes his head as he closes the door with his cane and the ship begins to fly away.

"These kids just keep getting _weirder_..."

Walking up to the cockpit and taking a seat next to the familiar pilot in the red aviators, Roman lays his head back on the seat and closes his eyes, getting a good puff out of his cigar before being interrupted.

"Looks like you got beat up pretty bad," the man in the gruff voice begins, "Saw some redhead chick down there near the flames. D'ya kill her?"

Roman scoffs, "It was just a robot."

"Then you destroyed it?"

The man in the bowler hat grins with eyes still closed, "No. Even better... she'll be a very great asset for us in the future. Everything's going according to plan."

And down at the docks, Jaune watches the Bullhead disappear over the horizon before a large blast rocks the entire flaming crate beside him. Except, the crate is no longer on fire.

"It's... It's frozen," he remarks as he walks up to and touches the frosty warped metal.

_BLAM!_

And with a mighty tremor, the entire crate moves several feet to the side, revealing Yang standing triumphantly and blowing out her smoking gauntlet while Weiss pulls out a small wad of lien beside her.

"Told ya I could do it in one punch~" the brawler remarks as she takes the lien from the miffed heiress and stashes it in her vest pocket.

But before either can step into the clearing, it's Pyrrha who comes dashing in and races toward Jaune, quickly cupping his face in her hands to see if he's okay before giving him a tight embrace.

"Jaune! We were so worried that something had happened to you!" She pulls back with him still in her arms and he's surprised to see tears welling in her eyes as she continues, "Blake told us how strong that man was and we feared... _I_ feared..."

Jaune doesn't let her finish, softly nuzzling her head onto him as she quietly sobs into his shoulder.

"What happened?" Ruby asks as she too enters the clearing, closely followed by Blake and the rest of his team.

"Where'd he go?"

Jaune turns to look at Blake as she asks the question, taking a deep breath as he and Pyrrha now separate, the Spartan having recovered enough from her momentary emotional lapse to regain her composure.

"We fought, and another Bullhead came over us... H-He got away."

"Well then, the police will be here soon," Ren begins decisively, "We should be out there to meet them so you can tell them what happened."

And as they make their way over to the gathering police cars, Ren puts his hand on the blonde's shoulder after Nora finishes nearly crushing his spine with her sloth hug.

"We're glad you're alright."

"Me too," Jaune replies with a relieved smile but remembering the predicament that had brought them all there in the first place, "Though right now I'm a little more worried about Bla-"

"Look Weiss, it's not what you think," they hear Ruby explaining quickly around team RWBY, Sun and Neptune, "She explained the whole thing while you and Yang were getting to Jaune! See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she has kitty ears and they're actually kind of cute..."

But ignoring her, the heiress walks past Ruby and squares off with Blake, who calmly begins to explain once more.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-"

"Stop! Do you have _any_ idea of how long we've been searching for you?" Weiss interrupts, pausing as an air of tension begins growing around them, "_Twelve hours_. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..."

Everyone looks on at the snowy-haired girl, worried.

"...I don't care."

"You don't care?" Blake replies, surprised about the change of heart.

"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?"

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-"

"Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah!" She cuts in again, silencing Blake, "I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something _this_ big comes up... you'll come to your _teammates_. And not some..."

Weiss looks at Sun, then at Neptune, "Some other guys."

Blake is more than relieved, wiping a tear from her eye as she's surrounded by her other two grinning teammates, "Of course."

Weiss smiles and nods, everyone enjoying the following moment of peace until-

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

Ruby fist pumps in glee with her exclamation and everyone gathers as the officers park their vehicles and begin coming over, but Weiss finishes by pointing accusingly at Sun and Neptune, "I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you two!"

Sun laughs nervously, but Neptune pops his collar as he shrugs off her attitude.

"Hey, Your Worship, we're only trying to help!"

She scoffs at the name and quips in response, "Hah! Help from a stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking waterboat boy?"

"Hey!" Neptune exclaims in offense, "Who's _scruffy-looking?_"

"_So_... Weiss is a Tsundere," Yang remarks softly to her chuckling teammates.

"_I heard that!_"

Jaune and Pyrrha watch in amusement as a new argument springs up between the hot-headed Ice Princess and the cool-headed flame maiden while the officers take in Ren and Nora to be interviewed first. The knight's glad the ordeal is over... except...

"Hey, wait a minute... Where's Penny?"

Pyrrha looks over at him quizzically, having heard him mumble.

"Did you say something, Jaune?"

But having turned his head before Pyrrha did, he smiles as he catches a silhouetted figure emerge from the dying embers of the crates and enter a black limo that drives off.

"Don't worry, Pyr. It was nothing."

* * *

**One day later...**

_Jaune_

Well, it took a while, but I think this is it.

It didn't take much, just a quick message to my team on the scroll saying that I was going to buy some armor in Vale, and after a long grueling airship ride to the industrial sector... Here I am.

Got my chestplate redone, the rest of my armor refitted, and a new handle built into the top of my shield for easy wielding. I gotta say, Blake's style makes sense.

But now that I have the chance, I've followed the flow in the Force that I've grown so used to feeling and it's led me to this warehouse. I test the door and find that it's unlocked - that's a good sign, right? - and step in.

At first I don't see much, and aren't really sure what I'm looking for... But I know why I'm here.

I know I'm capable of doing so much more with my semblance. And I want to find out. And as much as I hate to admit it, that guy in the bowler hat has a point. I know Ozpin's hiding something but I don't know what, and maybe this guy does.

But I don't get a chance to think much on it as I hear a lighter flick on in the distance and turn to see a single flame. Slowly, a large shutter nearby rolls open, exposing a window that lets in the moonlight into the large warehouse and shines light on the dozens of Dust crates inside, all against the walls.

I gape at the amount of Dust they've already stolen, but that's not what I'm here for right now. I want to learn what I can do. I _need_ to learn what I can do. And the man who knows is standing in the middle of this huge space.

"I'm here because I want to be the best I can be to protect Remnant," I begin with as much confidence as I can gather, my voice echoing around the room as I feel my body softly glowing white with my aura, "To do that, I'd like to learn what you know."

The man looks up to me from under his bowler hat, a pleased smile across his face as the fire casts a weird shadow across his eyes.

"Alright kid..." he begins as he steps closer and I realize that his eyes don't look different because of the fire... they're actually _glowing_ yellow with fiery red rings around his irises! Cool.

"...Let's begin."

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 6, finally off the presses! :D Sorry about the wait, I got sidetracked this week with some new happenings going on in my life and also because I finally got around to joining the RT community! Yay! I'm now able to submit my fanart haha :)**

**I'll put a link up to my RT profile in my FFnet page soon enough, but you can pm me and we'll get in touch on RT and stuff! **

**So anyways, chapter recap time!**

**First, Roman comes out and breaks stuff! Jaune and Blake join forces for the first time! And a few Star Wars references to boot! :D not to mention a few Easter eggs for you RT fans ;) But now a new stage has been set, a new chapter is near, and a new Arc has begun. -_pun intended_-**

**So feel free to fave, follow, and review because your support is so very appreciated and it makes this experience so much more enjoyable :) And with that being said, you'll be hearing from me soon! Take care!**

**And Happy Reading!**


	7. The Apprentice

_**A/N: **I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Monty Oum, the inspiration to such a great show, fandom, and so many incredible ideas through which he lives on by name and memory. We love you, Monty._

_**The Apprentice**_

* * *

It was only meant to be a little Force exercise.

Moving some fruit with the Force wasn't a big deal, right? With Yang's most recent pun, however, things changed. Even Nora was booing. So why not try something larger? A pie, maybe? It could've been easy. It would've been easy. It _should've_ been easy. But then Nora happened.

"Jaune, no, throw it like _this_-!"

"_Nora wait!_"

_SPLAT!_

Three facepalms quickly followed from Team JNPR's lunch table as a certain snowy-haired heiress' face was now dripping a mix of Boston filling and whipped cream. All of this a mere twenty-four hours before the beginning of the second semester. Nora, of course, transferred the blame by pointing at Ren, who couldn't help muttering under his breath at the situation.

"How did Jaune Force-throwing fruit at Yang turn into _this?_"

Pyrrha, equally mortified by the possible consequences, added as well, "I think _this_ is only the beginning..."

_Approx. 3 minutes, 17 seconds later..._

"I'm Queen of the cas-tle!~ I'm Queen of the cas-tle!~"

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It, will be, _DELICIOUS!_"

A determined team RWBY now rallies behind their silver-eyed leader with a rallying battle cry as the final students frantically evacuate the cafeteria that has been fortified by the might of team JNPR. On the top of the rudimentary lunch table castle, Nora stands proudly and places her hands on her hips with a wide grin while Jaune calls out from below.

"There is no escape! Don't make us destroy you!"

"Not if anything to say about it I have!" Ruby yells back with her squished milk carton still in her upheld fist.

At this, Nora flashes a predatory grin at the girls as they charge, "Off with their heads!~"

"Alright guys, let's start with the melons," Jaune begins with a mischievous smirk, to which Nora raises a brow in slight confusion.

"But Jaune-Jaune, Yang's still kinda far, and my aim isn't that good-"

"_Watermelons_, Nora," Ren corrects with a light blush.

"Ohh..." and without further hesitation, the hammer maiden chucks an entire table topped with watermelons at the group while Ren and Pyrrha throw several more as well.

Jaune, however, reaches out his hand and telekinetically lifts the last one before flexing his palm outward and sending it toward his red-hooded target like a fruity homing missile.

"Yang! TurkeyyyYAH!" Ruby shrieks as she's barely able to dodge the knight's giant projectile with a burst of her semblance, narrowing her eyes at the blonde antagonist, "Grr..."

"Hep! Hah! Hyah!" The blonde brawler grunts and digs in after arming herself with two cooked turkeys as gauntlets to power through the rain of large fruit with a powerful combo before launching her turkeys at the opposing team with an acrobatic flip.

"I hope you don't mind me flipping you guys the _birds!_~"

Pyrrha dodges the flying meat before she has a chance at a comeback, but judging by how both turkeys stop in midair in front of a particularly fiendish Arc, she realizes that he has a different kind of comeback in mind. Literally flipping the birds back at the aggressor, Jaune nails Yang with two direct hits and sends her flying into a table.

Weakly reaching out at her partner from under the mass of food and lunch tables, Yang pleads as Blake dashes by her, "Help me, Blakey. You're my only hope."

Nodding in assent, Blake gracefully somersaults and picks up two baguettes in the same movement, dual-wielding them against a recovered Nikos who ripostes with a third. Flipping over and around her Mistrali opponent, she then attempts to pin her with a throw of one of her baked breaded weapons only to be speared by the Invincible Girl's better aim and crispier projectile.

Blake falls back as Ruby then launches herself forward to skid on table tops over a food tray, dodging a volley of telekinetic food missiles from the knight and throwing another tray at Pyrrha to distract her long enough for a powerful drop kick. Throwing herself at the champion, the kick sends both girls falling back, Ruby getting up right on time to see Ren and Nora rapidly approaching.

But watching the heiress pick up a few condiment bottles and appear in front of the crimsonette, Pyrrha reaches out to her teammates in alarm.

"Ren! Nora!" She begins adamantly as Weiss holds the ketchup and mustard bottles over the floor between them with a devilish grin, "_It's a trap!_"

But it's too late. Springing the trap, Weiss sends a wave of condiments at the opposing pair and Ren is unable to alter his course, slipping and crashing into a nearby barricade of tables and a rather conspicuous cabbage stand. Nora quickly gasps at the sight.

"My cabbages!"

And vaulting into the air before being bested by the Heinz products, she snaps an iron rod off the wall and stabs it into a nearby watermelon, wielding the formidable weapon like a giant hammer that she uses to swing at Ruby who pushes Weiss out of the way to take the brunt of the hit and save her.

Without missing a beat, the heiress picks up a sturdy marlin and dashes at the Valkyrie with a rapid lunge, throwing the orange-haired powerhouse off-balance for merely a moment before being promptly pushed back on the defensive by Nora's powerful swinging arcs. She's only able to hold up against the brute offensive tactic for a few seconds, countering a few near misses with her swordfish before Nora performs a subtle reversal and sends the Ice Queen flying back into a stony column.

Ruby is barely able to catch her fading partner as she utters her last words, "Twilight is upon me, and soon night must fall. That is the way of things..."

"Weiss! Don't leave me!" The red leader begs with quivering lips as the heiress goes limp in her arms, "_Nooooo...!_"

Then, emerging from the rubble, Yang dashes out and arms herself with two more turkeys as Ren runs out to meet her from another pile of debris from across the room. Grabbing two large celery sticks, he uses his semblance to stop Yang's bone-crushing kick like the fang of a King Taijitu in midair. Still, the blonde brawler smirks at her stoic opponent as their hold against each other intensifies.

"Heh, _Xiao Long_ do you really think you could last against me?~"

Ren, grunting under the pressure and increasing temperature, meets her gaze with his own, a subtle honesty lining his words, "Strike me down, and I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

"We shall see... Hiyah!" Yang cries out as she releases her advance and rotates her hip in the same motion to attempt a roundhouse kick that goes blocked by Ren before she returns to her stronger suit of turkey-gauntlet combos.

A flashing jab, hook, and devastating uppercut sends the pink-eyed boy into the air, but Ren is able to readjust his trajectory and launch his celery at his powerful opponent. But missing her by mere fractions of an inch, he can only watch helplessly as she leaps above him and delivers the most painful meteor smash that the two Beacon teams had witnessed to date, the resounding crash into the floor leaving everyone with a ringing sound in their ears.

However, Yang is unable to get a chance to celebrate - or make a cheesy pun in her triumph - since Nora is on her in an instant, two and three swings of her fruity war hammer either dodged or blocked. Thinking she has the upper hand, Yang comes in with a right cross only to meet Nora's leg-breaking grin.

"Nora SMASH!"

_BOOOM! CRASH!_

The Valkyrie watches in satisfaction as Yang crashes upward through the roof before being whipped by a rather painful chain of sausage links into the soda dispensing machines at the foot of JNPR's makeshift castle.

"So much for _that_ plan," Blake hedges as she brings the swinging meat chain under control once more.

But to the ravenette's surprise, the disarmed hammer maiden merely picks herself up with a chuckle, "Well _he's_ the brains, sweetheart!~"

At this, the remaining members of team RWBY turn to see Jaune emerging from beside the main pile of tables and loudly call out, "And Ren shall be avenged! Nora, soda cans!"

Quickly picking up the sugary soft drinks, she then unleashes a volley of soda grenades at Blake, pushing her back as Ruby and Weiss begin speeding around the hail of can-fire and advance on their opponents. Jaune then turns to his partner, orders at the ready.

"Pyrrha, crowd control!"

Punching the ground under her, the Spartan now gains command over a small army of the aluminum constructs, whipping them around herself into a maelstrom of metal and launching them like two metallic snakes at the slower pair of the opposition and thus throwing Weiss and Blake back into the far wall.

However, none of the remaining JNPR members are prepared for the whirlwind that follows as Ruby unleashes a powerful counter-attack with the aid of her semblance.

"I think we're in trouble," Nora comments as the mass of cafeteria objects flying behind the crimsonette grows larger.

"You refer to the large cloud of debris headed right at us?" Pyrrha adds wide-eyed.

"Yep, were in trouble," Jaune admits before being startled by a familiar voice that comes from nowhere.

"_Trust your instincts. Use the Force, Jaune._"

Jaw dropping in surprise, the knight looks around frantically before responding, "Force-spirit Ren? Have you found the path to immortality!?"

"_No_," the flat reply leaves him deadpanning for a moment, "I'm right behind you."

"Oh," Jaune begins as he turns and sees the smirking stoic behind him before Ren gazes pointedly at the rapidly approaching threat, "Right."

And with brilliant white aura blazing at his aid, the young Arc holds out his hands and regains control over every makeshift projectile in the cafeteria with an incredible feat of Force-concentration as Ruby stops to let her supposed game-ending attack pin team JNPR into the wall with its momentum.

However, all she can do is watch her plan being reversed as every soft drink, tray and table slow their trajectory and hang in the air like a giant wall in front of Jaune.

"Whaaa...?"

_SHOOOOOM!_

The wall now comes flying at the remaining members of Ruby's team and pins the three girls to the far wall, the barrage of food and drink items creating a mosaic of color that permeate every fiber of their uniforms before the onslaught finally ends. Jaune's teammates observe the spectacle in awe until the three defeated students slip down from the wall leaving a trail of sugar and shame.

"Oh, and Nora?" Jaune asks as he now appears from behind the JNPR barricade/castle with a pie in hand.

"Yes, Jaune-Jaune?"

He walks over to a random spot in the middle of the cafeteria and turns to face her with an innocent smile, "_This_ is how you throw a pie."

His team only has to wonder for a moment before they hear an approaching yell and see Yang fall back into the cafeteria and land only two feet away from Jaune in a daze.

_SPLAT!_

Wiping the Boston cream filling off her face, Yang merely looks up at him with a raised brow, "All of this cuz of a lousy pun?"

"Yep."

"Pfft!" she chuckles shamelessly despite being covered in pie, "Then I guess we really DID start this semester with a _Yang!_"

Everyone in the room facepalms at the second-hand pun, including the two Haven students that had watched the whole thing from the cafeteria entrance, as Jaune shakes his head and speaks up with a grin.

"Yang, you're incorrigible."

"And _you_ have a mess to fix before Goodwitch sees this and has a conniption~"

Jaune looks around as he helps up the laughing brawler, "Huh. I guess you're right."

As he then sets to work the rapid re-assembling of the cafeteria with the aid of his increased dexterity in the ways of the Force, Sun looks over at a filth-covered Neptune and snorts in an attempt to hide his laughter.

"You know, I think the odds of Jaune's team winning the fight and you _still_ getting covered in crap was like three-thousand seven-hundred and twenty to one!"

Neptune did his best to keep his cool as he wiped some sugary slime off his face.

"Never tell me the odds."

* * *

_Jaune_

Life has been... _interesting_... for the last few weeks.

Not the kind of interesting as in, 'Oh, my family came to visit' interesting. No, more like confusing, hectic, rigorous... ah, and most of all, _eye-opening_. It's been several weeks since the events at the docks, and I've learned a lot since then. And I mean a _lot_.

Glynda took care to continue helping me with the basic Control and Sense aspects of the Force - psh, as if I need them anymore. Pyrrha took care of helping me continue training with Crocea Mors, though I haven't quite figured out my style yet. And as for my knack for Force empathy... well, that's kind of a side-project. I mean, you gotta understand, knowing all that seems to sound great on paper, but I'm past that now. And I need _more_.

Which brings me to my current situation.

_ZzzzZzSHHH! BLAM BLAM! KshhhKSHHH!_

"Faster! I-I mean, c'mon! What was _that!?_"

I pick up my blindfold to peer at the somewhat miffed Torchwick glaring at me in the dark. Seriously, that guy can really live to his name sometimes.

"Really, kid. Are you even all _here_ right now?"

"Ah well. You know me, Roman, my mind's always on something else," I casually reply as I replace my blindfold and ready myself to block the next wave of attacks.

I can already sense his annoyance as he fires a few more rounds at me from different angles with his Orbital Remote Firearm - or ORF for short - its incredible speed as it zips around the room firing blaster-like ammo from random directions granting it the ability to seem like multiple opponents attacking at once. Not that I can't handle it - each explosive projectile is deflected by a flick of my wrist.

"Heh. The Force is with you, young Grimm Hunter..." Roman begins coldly, and I pause and quickly release my blindfold suddenly sensing imminent danger only to see a flash of metal and feel the edge of Melodic Cudgel pressed against the skin of my neck, "But you are not a Master _yet_."

By this time, rolling my eyes comes pretty naturally as I slowly clap my hands at his victory and turn away, "Fair enough. You win again."

But a quick - and annoying - smack on my head with the cane is followed by it being pressed up against the back of my skull a second time as the lesson continues, "Concentrate. You're held up at gunpoint and your assailant can't be seen. Where is your sword?"

I reply with maybe not-so-subtle sarcasm, "It's in my _sheath_, O Intelligent On-"

_SMACK!_

"Ow!"

"And _where_ is it supposed to be!"

I rub the back of my head where the cane has already smacked me multiple times as I reply, "In my hand! But why do I need it when I can use Forse Repulse? I used it earlier today to end a food fight, after all..."

"Cuz it's nowhere _near_ up to snuff," Roman answers with a hard poke of the cane on my back at the emphasized word, prompting me to turn to face him with a flat expression as he motions to the area surrounding him, "Not to mention that we're currently _surrounded_ by giant volatile _Dust_ containers, eh!?"

"Well, you're right about the last part."

"_Then!?_"

"...Fine!" I finally relent, throwing my arms in the air in my frustration, "I'll train more with my Force techniques _and_ my weapons."

Though I was pretty sure that even _he_ had to admit, Glynda's lessons about Force Sensing that she constantly drilled me with had paid off, leading them to their discovery of my enhanced spatial awareness which was - with this extra training - granting me near-precognitive abilities in combat. Overpowered? Maybe. But it's nice to have an edge in battle. So deal with it.

Roman, now seeming to catch on to what I was feeling at the moment, powers down ORF and walks over to me with a sigh.

"Look kid, you've got potential. Ya have skill, but you lack experience, and you sure as hell lack finesse. So come with me..." he pauses as he motions at the warehouse door and leads me outside, "You wanna be a good protector. I get that. But there's been something I been meaning to ask you during our little 'training sessions'. You do realize that one day, you may have to make some tough choices to protect those you care about, right?"

I glance sideways at him as he nonchalantly lights a cigarette under the dim glow of the broken moon above us, the small flame flickering the only warm light in this cold evening before being extinguished with a _click_. There's really no point in being suspicious with this guy... he's been pretty helpful up to this point. And to be honest, I couldn't read him even if I tried. He seriously knows what he's doing when it comes to the Force.

"Tough choices. I think that's what I signed up for when I faked my transcripts to get into a Hunter's Academy. So yes, I'd say I realize that."

He seems to be pleased with that bit of info, smirking as he looks at me with a puff of smoke, "You don't _say_. And they still let you stay? Huh. Then you really must be special! The shining Arc, beacon of hope~"

I audibly scoff at the idea. It sure doesn't _feel_ like I'm special at Beacon. Honestly, it just feels like extra classes on top of my normal ones _and_ my leaders-only electives. Whoop-dee-do.

"Heh, truth is, you're a god amongst insects," Roman drawls as he leans back on the warehouse wall and stares into space with a small smile, "Don't forget it. And don't let _them_ forget it either. You have to speak for yourself, after all..."

"Yeah, I guess," I shrug as I lean back on another wall as well, taking in the cold breeze before Roman speaks up again.

"You _guess_. Hah!" the man in the bowler hat laughs as he takes another puff, "We're gonna have to work some more on that confidence of yours, kid! But when I say 'tough choices', I mean the type that will come the day you have to kill more than _Grimm_ for the sake of the continued peace and unity in Remnant..."

I shuffle my weight a bit as I lean back further against the wall, an uncomfortable feeling spreading through me as I contemplate the possibility, "Uh... where are you going with this, exactly?"

"Nowhere," Roman replies airily, gesturing at nothing in particular with cigar in hand as he continues, "Just... concerned. I mean, I'm helping you develop abilities waaay beyond your years, and we're still barely scratching the surface! So all I'm really saying is that I'll need your mind to be focused, for you to use your emotions when the day comes to fight for our cause..."

"Of course I will!" I retort hotly, "There's nothing I want more than to keep Remnant and the people I care about safe!"

Heh, it's funny, but I can't help but wince a little as an unexpected face runs through my mind. You'd think it might be one from my family, my _dad_ even - despite how hard he always was on me in his attempts to 'toughen me up' when I was younger - but no. No, the face... belongs to my partner.

I mean, yeah, Pyrrha and I have been getting pretty close these last few weeks, several of our sessions turning into all-night talks about nothing in particular - growing up, classes, anything we could think of, really. But it's something we both needed... She needed someone who could level with her, and I needed someone I could talk to who would understand me. So why has this been a recurring internal debate lately?

"I _know_ there isn't," Torchwick now continues enigmatically, interrupting my train of thought, "Which is why I'm glad to tell ya that I think we've found a way to end the war before it even begins!"

Ignoring his seemingly ever-present sarcastic tone lining his words, I feel my eyes widen in hope to avoid any war casualties as I try to get more info, "Really? What do we do?"

"Well," he begins, dropping his cigar and crushing it under his cane as he pushes himself off the wall with his shoulder, "There's a little meeting going on next week and I'd like for you to be there. I think it's time to properly introduce you to a certain group I've taken up a joint business venture with to ensure the success of our plan..."

I narrow my eyes at the smug man as I sense their identity, "The White Fang."

"Yep."

"The same group that wants to see practically all known government wiped out in favor of pro-Faunus councils?"

"Right again. Two for two!" he smirks at me as he twirls his cane and sets it on his shoulder, "But don't believe everything ya hear, kid. They want equality like the rest of us, and you have to admit that the government nowadays just ain't getting it done."

I stare at him, gaze held firm as he chuckles darkly and continues.

"Search your feelings, kid. You know it to be true."

Another silent moment passes before I look down and sigh. He has a point. Even the Beacon staff with their philosophy of tolerance in accepting students from all walks of life - which can't be said of every academy in Remnant, their prejudice hidden under a thin disguise of 'intensive selection processes' - don't seem to be making any notable progress in that front. I hate to admit it, but it makes sense that an overthrow could bring lasting peace faster than our current system.

And if there's a way to do that while sparing the most lives... I'm willing to hear it.

"Alright. When's the meeting?"

"One week from tonight. At an old White Fang recruitment center, nothing too crazy. I'll send coordinates."

I take out my scroll and mark my calendar before turning to leave, "Fine, but I'm done for the night. I think I've learned enough about how crappy the world can be for a week..."

"Fair enough," Torchwick calls out as I get further away, "Don't forget to take your motion sickness meds on your airship ride back! Hehe..."

I snort as I round the corner and his chuckling fades into the ambient sounds of a nighttime Vale. All this power and I still need meds for motion sickness. Jeez.

* * *

_Roman_

_Buzz. Buzz Buzz._

I look down as my communicator starts vibrating with the ringtone that my favorite suit-wearing cronie pilot made me a while back. I eventually decided to call it... The Imperial March.

_His_ name, however, I haven't bothered learning yet, so I'm sticking with his pilot call came - Four Seven Niner. But in this case, he's not the one calling me. I grin as I answer and hold the communicator up to my ear.

"Lieutenant Nama! What a pleasant surprise! You must have good news, you oversized lumberjack!"

'_You kiddin' me? Oversized lumberjack?_' The voice, as usual, is consistently firm. Appropriate for any lead spokesman of an organization with the likes of the White Fang.

As for the rest of his persona, well... Not too dull, but not too bright either. Perfect.

"Aw c'mon. You gotta admit the chainsaw and the facemask only adds to the image!"

A low growl emanates through the communicator, '_It's not my primary weapon..._'

"I know, I know," I hedge off-handedly, "So what's the news?"

'_Well_,' the voice continues, brushing off its previous peevishness, '_We offed the final military shipment from Atlas' cybernetic manufacturers... and met surprisingly little resistance._'

"Hah! I can tell you it was by design!" I chuckle as I begin walking away from the Dust-laden warehouse, "I told you I'm not the only one pulling strings around here, and my boss - despite himself - can really work _wonders!_"

Hmm... It just hit me. A call from the big guy himself and he's only telling me about a Paladin shipment?

"I sense that's not _all_ you've called me for, Nama," I continue slowly into the communicator.

'_No._' he begins with restrained hostility, '_We've found... Her._'

Hehe, I'm pretty sure Tom Hiddleston's Loki-grin has got _nuthin_ on the one I've got plastered on my face right about now!

"Oh, goodie-!" I begin giddily before being cut off by the harsh reply.

'_She killed several of our men before we could even present the contract offer you asked us to give her!_' The voice roars through the communicator.

"Ah. Sorry?"

'_Ack!_' The lieutenant dismisses in disgust, '_You sure know how to pick them! At least one of our men was able to hand her the contract before she decimated the crew. But she ran him through after reading it... just for the fun of it._'

"Oh don't be so dramatic..."

'_I know a psychopath when I see one._'

"Then I sensed it correctly," I stop and think placidly as I reach my extraction point, "She'll be here. And not just for the money... A natural Force user with an ability to create Force illusions and a semblance like hers _needs_ a challenge. She'll be a great backup plan for if things go south next week."

'_You sound so sure something will go wrong._'

"Meh. I like to play _all_ the angles. Speakin' o' which, I should mention that I'll be bringing another guest to the little shindig we got goin' on next week. Human as well."

An audible facepalm is heard across the line before he speaks up, '_Look, having you there is going to be tough enough, but THREE humans is asking for a bloodbath!_'

"Now now," I begin as if chastising a three-year-old, "You're not the one calling the shots around here. Cinder is taking care of the breach, and I'm taking care of... Everything else."

'_Roman, you can't SERIOUSLY be thinking that you'll get away with-'_

"Ah ah ah, I think I've been _quite_ explicit on the terms of professionalism you should be keeping when referring to me..." I interrupt playfully just when he starts building up to his rant.

His response is practically dripping with hatred as he retorts, '_NEVER._'

Hm, that hate could be pretty useful if he were a Force-sensitive. Being that it isn't the case, it only serves to annoy me. Powerless fool.

"Now you're going to listen here, you half-witted chameleon," I start without any pretense of amiability or respect that was never truly there in the first place, "I know what you are. More importantly, I know _who_ you are behind that mask. So just like your boss will inevitably come to terms with Cinder, _you_ and all those under you will inevitably answer to _me_."

A tense moment passes before I hear his wicked response lash back, '_You stupid Force-sensitives and your menial sorcery. Nothing but charletans and tricksters! That's right, I know what YOU are as well, and I... I... gak! gargh!..._'

His voice dies off as his words are replaced with the guttural sounds of choking. And I have to say, me Force-choking morons never fails to bring a smile to my face.

"You know what, Nama? I find your lack of faith disturbing."

'_Erg! ...Ack! Gah!_'

"Oh, I know. I know," I continue casually, "But tell you what, since I'm in a good mood today, I'll let you try that last statement again. 'Kay, pumpkin?~"

The sounds of choking quickly become strained gasps for air on the other line as I relax my hold on my target, a few seconds passing before he regains the strength to speak.

'_Very well... one week... I'll ensure the preparations myself... LORD._'

"Muuuch better!" I reply in satisfaction, "One week, then. Gotta go, bye bye now!"

I end the conversation as the large Bullhead appears over me, an always-happy pilot waving as I enter the cockpit.

"Four Seven Niner, reporting for duty!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Sounds like someone can use a burrito!" The pilot observes as I take my seat in a huff. I don't feel like I'm in a good mood anymore... Force-choking people always has a way of putting me on edge. Agh, I should count my blessings instead - one, maybe even two apprentices down the line, and all to help me in my end game.

It's all about the end game.

"Sure, why not," I reply with a sigh, "but I forgot my wallet. So you're paying."

I lay my head back and prepare for the ride to my favorite burrito shack in Vale, A Simple Chipotle, pretending not to hear my pilot mumbling under his breath as the airship takes off.

"Dick move, dude. Dick move."

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Sorry about making a large chunk of the chapter non-POV, but when I first watched the food fight when it first aired, so many possible SW references came into my head and I couldn't resist making them reality. ;)**

**(EDIT - ****In regards to a few reviews about the rareness of Jaune's semblance, I'd like to point a few things out. If I have just Jaune with the Force, it's OP. If everyone has it, it's pointless. There are only 6 confirmed Force users in the story - good or bad - out of the hundreds of Hunters, out of the likely hundreds of thousands of Remnant's residents. I'd call that rare. Just some food for thought).**

**And on a side note, I think we can all agree that Ren, like Monty, can never be totally erased from this world or from RWBY anymore. So I'm hoping Ren remains in Volume 3 of the show!**

**So: food fight, Jaune training, and Roman planning along with the introduction of one certain Lieutenant! Didn't get an opportunity for fluff of any type in this chapter, but expect that to change very soon ;)**

**Anyways, I want to thank you all again for reading and making this fic what it is now after only a month of existence. You guys are awesome :) And remember, feel free to fave, follow and review to show your support! It's always appreciated and such great motivation to keep finding time to write in my hectic schedule! :D Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter...**

**And Happy Reading!**


	8. The Seeds Sown

**_The Seeds Sown_**

* * *

_Jaune_

"Whoa, didn't expect to find you up here!" I exclaim as I open the door to the roof of the dorm complex.

I had come up to think about the things Roman had told me. It felt weird to think he could be right, but it was obvious to me that he couldn't be completely wrong either... about the way things worked, about the threat of war, even about what I might have to do in the future to keep the peace. Honestly, it was a lot to process.

Meh, with Pyrrha here though, I guess my thoughts will have to wait a while.

My partner at the edge of the roof is clearly surprised at my sudden entrance, jumping a bit where she sat and turning to glare at me as if scolding me for having scared her with her bright emerald eyes. But judging by the smile she's unable to hold back after a second, I don't think she's too mad.

"Jaune!" She finally speaks up, saying my name with that same excited tone I could never explain, "I could tell you the same thing!"

I roll my eyes and smirk at her, not really wanting to try and make an excuse and risk giving myself away like the klutz I can be sometimes.

But she seems to prod on as she continues, leaning back with her arm and propping her head on her shoulder as she keeps our gazes locked, "Honestly, you've been going out late so much more often these past few weeks, it almost feels like you're deliberately skipping out on our training lessons!"

Heh, trust me. I'm getting in my training alright.

"Nah, I've just been feeling the need to be out and about more often - you know, to get lost in Vale and get to know the city we're protecting and stuff..."

"Getting lost in Vale, hm?" Pyrrha asks, smiling with a hint of a teasing tone in her voice now, "Maybe you should take me with you sometime, otherwise you might get lost again~"

"Maybe," I begin until catching what she just said, deadpanning at her as she begins to chuckle, "Hey! For the record, that was just _one_ time!"

She grins at me before looking at the empty ledge beside her and turning back to look over the roof and the silent lights that shine with their dim glow in the night. It's really a nice view; I remember the first time we were up here and how I instantly fell in love with the evening landscape... and by Monty, this place sure hasn't lost its charm!

But suddenly, as if she were surprised about something, Pyrrha glances at her side and then back at me. Raising her brow, she glances pointedly at the space beside her with a grin and pats the spot for me to come over. Right, as if I were supposed to catch on to the fact that me sitting there was what she wanted in the first place!

"You know, I may be good with empathy and all, but it still doesn't mean I can read minds," I remark as I take my seat next to her on the ledge of the roof, our legs now dangling freely over the edge.

"Yes, but you'd think your semblance would at the very least grant you the ability to catch onto things sooner," Pyrrha retorts playfully, lightly nudging me with her arm.

"Oh, you mean like the fact that you were in deep contemplation when I came up here?" I ask flatly, eager to prove that I'm not _totally_ inept with reading into people's actions.

To my surprise, she doesn't respond. She just glances down with a light blush and eventually returns her gaze back up to the shadowy school buildings that surround us.

"I'm right, aren't I," I continue, a little confused at her reaction, "What were you thinkin' about?"

"I don't know..." She responds unsurely, to which I can't help but chuckle.

"Sure you do, you just don't wanna tell me."

"Are you going to use one of your special mind tricks on me?" she asks with an amused, almost challenging tone in her voice as she looks over at me.

"They only work on the weak-minded," I reply, holding my hands up innocently, "You are anything _but_ weak-minded!"

"Alright," she concedes, looking back over the edge and taking a deep breath, "I was thinking about how my parents came to be together. You see, my father Ruwee fell madly in love with my mother, Jobal Naberrie, shortly after they first met, and had no idea how to tell her. I was just thinking of all the time that passed while his subtle attempts to let her know how he felt were lost on her focus in her career, and what he would always tell me he wished he could've done in a more forthright manner to have gotten her to notice sooner..."

"Ah, one of _those_ stories," I hedge, crossing my arms as I notice her raise her brow again, "Delayed love and stuff, you know! Don't you hate it when someone's crush doesn't even realize what they're feeling? I've had that problem for _so_ long with Weiss, but thank Oum for my Force abilities! I now realize she's... more... into...?"

I slow down and finally stop as I notice Pyrrha glaring at me with narrowed eyes, her hands gripping the ledge on either side of herself kinda hard. Um... Did I say something wrong?

"_Anyway_, I get the picture," I continue, nervously trying to change the subject back to her as quickly as I can, "So back to your parents! What ever happened to them?"

After a lengthy moment, she exhales sharply with a breath I could only guess she'd been holding for the last minute or so, then taking a slower breath and seemingly chuckling at herself as she gets back to her story.

"Of course, she eventually caught on and returned his affections, and they were wed. He went on to become a councilman for the Mistrali Government, and after having me and raising me to fighting age, my mother returned to her career as one of Mistral's more famed Huntresses."

"I take it _she_ was the smart one," I comment once she finishes.

She laughs as she looks at me and shakes her head, "You really don't like politicians, do you?"

"Meh, maybe two or three," I mention with a shrug, "But I'm not sure. I just don't think the system works."

Pyrrha seems taken aback at my comment but asks light-heartedly, "Very well, how would _you_ have it work?"

"We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problems, agree what's in the best interests of all the people, and then do it," I remark slowly as I lean back, propped by my arms behind me.

"That is exactly what they do," Pyrrha replies, that same pensive expression she gets when she's taking something seriously, "The trouble is that people don't always agree. In fact, they hardly ever do."

I hum indicatively, "Then they should be _made_ to."

"By whom?" she asks, almost amused at my proposition, "_Who's_ going to make them?"

"I don't know. Someone."

"You?" She continues, a smile creeping on her lips as if she expects me to deliver a punch line at any moment.

"Of course not me."

"But someone."

I nod my head, her smile fading as she probably realizes by now that I'm being serious, "Someone wise."

At this, I look at her sideways and notice as she purses her lips, huffing at the thought.

"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me."

It does. Heh, I can't help a small grin at how right Roman's argument is beginning to sound, after all.

"Well, if it works..."

I can feel her stare on me before I even turn to look at her. I try and keep a level stare at her too, trying my best to stay straight-faced as I watch her admittedly flawless features until I can't hold back my smile anymore.

At that, Pyrrha's face visibly brightens with amused accusatory intent as she finally speaks up, "You're making fun of them!"

"Oh no," I retort with a possible tone of sarcasm - I can't help but poke fun at her at least every now and then, "I'd be _much_ too afraid to tease a senator!"

"_Councilman_," she corrects with a chuckle before giving my arm a light jab, "You're so bad!"

We each start laughing at her remark, really enjoying ourselves now in these rare moments of undisturbed conversation. And no, Pyrrha's many previous and extremely grueling training sessions with me don't count as undisturbed conversation.

But scooting closer to me in the joy of said moment, I feel a grin irresistibly grow on me as she leans her head on my shoulder and lets her last few chuckles drift out into the nocturnal breeze.

It's nice to hear her laugh. A mirthful, joyous sound - only heard in the most comically spontaneous moments during our hectic team life - it was one of the most contagious laughs I had ever had the pleasure of hearing. Hmm, I haven't heard it too much lately, now that I think of it...

Maybe it's the proximity, but I don't even realize I'm now letting my aura's warmth extend outward, my Force Empathy activating smoothly, until I close my eyes and begin to speak without noticing, "You're always so serious, Pyr. Always carrying the weight of the universe on your shoulders..."

She looks up at me from my shoulder - almost longingly, might I add, which is weird - her gleaming emerald orbs meeting my casual glance as I realize what I'm doing and decide to finish with a smirk, "You'd make a good senator."

Pyrrha deadpans, but smiles before responding, "_Councilwoman_."

"Right."

Not bothering to remove herself anymore, she readjusts herself and keeps her head on my shoulder, scooting just a little closer as another cool breeze passes around us. You know, it's a lot like they say: silence can hold as much meaning as any conversation, and as we sit there on the ledge, I can't help but feel like I don't wanna leave. Ever.

...Wait. Are these _my_ emotions? Ack, this empathy thing makes it hard to tell sometimes, and being so close to the girl that unlocked my aura - and semblance - isn't exactly helping, either. But as I turn to see her beside me, her form rhythmically rising and falling with every relaxed breath, I'm starting to think that it's more of a shared emotion than anything else.

And right now, I don't mind keeping it that way...

_Pyrrha_

Mmm, it seems I was overanalyzing things again, after all. If I'm patient, I'll find the right time to tell him, but for now I'll simply enjoy the time we're sharing together. Oh Jaune, what I would give for you to feel the way I do right now...

* * *

_Weiss_

How- Wha- Who in the world _says_ that sort of thing!?

'Psh! That's dumb! We should always get friends involved!'?

..._That's_ dumb!

"That's why I brought Neptune!"

Oh. Well that's a more pleasant turn of events. My three teammates and I promptly make our way to our dorm window to find the young man in question standing on a thin ledge not more than a yard or so away.

"Sup."

I hear Ruby ask flatly in a mix of surprise and curiosity, "How did you even get up here?"

"I have my ways," he replies coolly, before looking down and continuing with fairly less composure, "Seriously though, can I come in? We're like, _really_ high up right now."

Hmph. The pansy. What did I ever see in him?

But as Ruby and Sun pull him in, Blake is the first to question the duo.

"Why were you outside our window again?"

Couldn't have asked a better question myself.

"Well it's been about a week since we saw you guys at the cafeteria after your food fight," Sun casually begins explaining, "So we thought we'd come by and say hi..."

"Heh, we didn't think we'd be interrupting the inauguration of Remnant's first teenage crimefighting team!" Neptune adds with a short chuckle, to which I see Ruby's eyes light up. Oh no, I already know what she's thinking!

"Ohmygosh, great idea Neptune!" She begins as Yang seems to reach the same realization and begins to speak in unison with her sister, "_We can call ourselves the Teen Tita-!_"

"NO." Blake and I reply in tandem.

It's comforting to know that she and I can agree on the need to avoid childish references. At least to cartoons.

"Fiiine," my red-hooded leader concedes with a pout as the six of us now congregate in a circular formation at the center of the dorm, "Alright, I'll go with Weiss; Sun, you can go with Blake."

And pushing Neptune across the room, I'm shocked - to say the least - when he furtively flashes me a wink as he passes in front of me. Doesn't he know who I am!? W-Why would he do that!?

...A-And why is it having this effect on me, it doesn't even make any _sense!_ I am _above_ these primal reactions! _Snap out of it, Weiss!_

"And Neptune," Ruby continues as she pushes him next to her sister, "You can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?"

Ohhh... He hasn't stopped looking at me this whole time! And now he has to go putting on that suave look; I-I must resist! _Agh_... can't... handle... the smolder!

I barely register myself speaking as I try to play off my internal demands with as much nonchalance as I can muster, "Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang? After all, she _is_ your sister."

I am _so_ disappointed in myself right now.

"But, Weiss, who would go with _you_, then?"

Unf, curse my unpredictable hormones! "Well... I guess Neptune could come with me," I reply mousily, no longer able to hide the effects of the rising adrenaline levels.

She merely glances at me, then at Neptune, then back at me before surrendering a short shrug.

"Okay."

Seemingly surprised by the turn of events, Neptune promptly resumes the smolder and begins sauntering over to my side, effortlessly popping his collar as I hastily straighten out my combat dress. Seriously, all these years of self-discipline only to come crashing down at the sight of a dashing young man such as him!? Maybe it's a sort of Schnee curse...

"Well Snow Angel, it looks like you've managed to keep me here a while longer," he begins smoothly as he takes his place next to me. _Hah!_ As if I'm going to succumb to his fiendish charm and let my emotions show _that_ easily!

"I had nothing to do with it," I retort matter-of-factly, "Ruby simply thinks it a better idea if someone keeps a lookout while I check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. You seem like you can handle the task."

Somewhat taken aback at my lack of total fawning over his witty remark, he quickly regains his composure with a heart-melting smirk... Mm, I could just _have_ him right- _Ack!_ _Shun those thoughts, me!_

"That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me outta your sight."

Not just 'gorgeous'... Oh Monty, he's _perfect!_

_Neptune_

Hah! Undressing me with your eyes, are you? O Gracious Oum, she's _perfect!_

_Weiss_

I roll my eyes to keep them from spilling the truth, "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

This causes a few of the others to break out into laughter, a light and irresistible blush forming on Neptune's face as he narrows his eyes at his knee-slapping friend. _I'm sorry, Neptune!_

"Laugh it up, fuzzball."

This, of course, sends Ruby and Yang into an even stronger fit of laughter, Sun stopping immediately with a hurt expression, "Dude. I'm not even that hairy..."

"Hahaha, nahhh!" Ruby finally speaks aloud to herself after regaining enough will to stop cracking up at the situation as she walks over to me, "What was I thinking!? You'll come with me instead, Weiss!"

Oh... _Oh no!_ She actually believes the tension between Neptune and I is _genuine! _And for some cruel reason decreed by the powers that be, I'm absolutely powerless to stop Ruby from pulling me by the back out the door. Oh, what have I done!

"B-But! _But!_"

* * *

_Blake_

Bah! It's been a long time since I've worn one of these. But nowhere near long enough.

"I don't get it," Sun muses out loud as we stand just outside a covert White Fang recruitment center, holding out the distinctive half-mask in his hand.

"What, that if I believed what we were doing was right, why hide who we are?" I ask the question and give its reply flatly, "Simple. The masks are a symbol. Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters."

I'm somewhat surprised to see him cock his head to the side in confusion, "Uh, _no_. What I meant was... Am I the _only_ one getting a weird sense of déjà-vu out of everything we're doing right now?"

I merely put my mask on and walk away towards the entrance.

Without my bow on, I can hear every one of his muffled complaints as he struggles to put his mask on and keep up with me.

"Man, _first_ the glares, _now_ the angst. Always sunshine and rainbows with you..."

Finally entering the main warehouse where the meeting will be held, I observe the new recruits to the White Fang moving in a line to the side of the stage, a mere few dozen compared to the hundreds of white-vested, black-hooded soldiers to their left and up above in the balconies.

Sun, however, eagerly scans the long-time members before preparing what I'm sure is a slew of back-handed remarks about the once-peaceful organization. _Sigh_... somebody just kill me now. Just shoot me and turn me into a cat so I can go peacefully die in a dumpster with no hope of last-minute rescue.

"Man, this cult has everything!" He exclaims beside me with hushed excitement as he points to different areas of the room, beginning with a group of shadowy figures on the high balcony at the rear.

"You got your evil masterminds...!"

He then points to the masses of cheering White Fang soldiers lining the far side of the room, "You got your disturbing fanatics...!"

Then to a fairly large, fully-masked and tattooed man waiting on the platform to begin, "You got your mindless muscle...!"

And finally to a single cloaked figure at the back corner of the platform that even I had failed to notice at first, "And you even got your stealthy spies!"

I glare at him on the last part, fighting back a smirk as I come to realize exactly what it was that I used to do before he gets to whatever Oum-forsaken point he was getting at in the first place.

"...So, you may as well call these guys the order of _Scheming Irrational Thugs and Hustlers! _Or as _I_ like to call them for short, the _SIT-_"

"_No_... Just, no." I cut him off as the large man standing on the platform steps in front of the large sheet emblazoned with the bloody wolf and claw marks. And you'd _think_ Sun would've learned his lesson from the reprimand he and Neptune received from Weiss and I earlier.

Though it _was_ a rather enjoyable cartoon they were referencing at the time. I liked Raven best... my fellow Kuudere in arms.

But as the large man begins to speak, I barely register what he's saying as my attention is drawn to the cloaked figure in the far corner of the platform. I can't see his face, which is obscured by the hood, but I can sense something familiar about him... the way he breathes, the way he stands...

"Heeey," Sun quietly begins next to me as he begins to focus on the hooded figure as well, "Do my super-accurate, never-failing Faunus eyes deceive me? ...Or is the hooded dude wearing a pair of vintage Chucks!? Lucky... I heard they stopped being manufactured years ago..."

I was literally two seconds away from smacking him on the back of the head when and all-too-familiar rhythmic tapping caught my attention from the stage. It was the tap of a cane.

And sure enough, the both of us look at the center of the platform to see none other than Roman, smiling confidently even as the crowd starts protesting.

He waves mockingly at the increasingly bitter crowd and begins his speech as a second person - a considerably shorter girl with two-toned hair - walks out from behind the White Fang banner, "Thank you, thank you! Please, hold your applause!"

"What's a _human_ doing here?!" A Faunus girl with antlers right in front of us calls out, pointing at Roman.

"I'm glad you asked, 'Deerie'!" He quips in response, an involuntary scowl forming on my lips at the insulting pun, "Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the _worst_."

He then salutes indicatively, pointing himself out with the gesture, "Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, _killed!_"

Knowing what he's capable of, I'm afraid of alerting him to my presence in the Force but find myself needing to use some Force-enhanced insight to better gauge the situation.

"So, is he going somewhere with this?" Sun asks me sideways as Roman continues.

"_But_, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I _all_ have a common enemy: the ones in control, the people pulling the strings, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms! Government, military, even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life!"

Sun and I share a look as in just two sentences, the man has already managed to turn threats to cheers. That's impossible to do, even for a Force-sensitive. It'd take a _Master_ to perform a mind trick of this scale... Unless...

"What was that? You're mumbling," Sun whispers as I stare wide-eyed at the man in the bowler hat.

"Sun, there's something _very_ wrong going on here."

And with a snap of the fingers, Roman performs a disguised Force-pull in front of everyone's very eyes as he makes the curtain fall with the gesture, and we hear the whole mass of Faunus applaud at the sight of the Atlesian Paladin-290 behind it with the mark of the White Fang painted on its shoulder.

Sun gapes at the sight, "Whoa, that's a big robot..."

"How did he get that?" I can't help but ask aloud.

"As some of you might have heard, this right here..." Roman continues after a dramatic pause as the taps the giant mech, "...is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my 'employer', we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, 'hit the shelves'."

I stop paying attention to what he's saying as the need to find out what we're up against nearly overwhelms me. I grab Sun's arm, a bit harder than I intended unfortunately, to get his attention.

"Warn me if anything happens."

I can practically see his eyebrows shoot up from behind his mask as he responds, "Wai- What? What are you doi-?"

His voice dissipates in my mind as I close my eyes and relax, my breathing evening out with the Force exercise that Tukson had taught me so long ago. As soon as I have a handle on it, I finally reach out with the Force over every being in the room, my natural ability going to work as I measure each attendee's displacement in the Force. It doesn't take long to realize that aside from myself, there are _three_ Force-sensitives in the room.

I pass over everyone in the audience as fast as I can and find neither of the three. Finally, I reach the platform.

The first person I touch is the Lieutenant, a strong aura surrounding him, but nothing out of the ordinary aside from an especially destructive sea of emotions lurking just under his seemingly stoic exterior. The next person I touch is the weakest of the three Force-sensitive auras... the girl. But 'weak' probably isn't the best description to use in this case, being that her readings would likely be high enough to cause serious concern if misused.

However, I nearly gasp as I touch the second strongest of the three auras on that platform.

Roman.

"H-He's a Dark Lord!" I nearly cry out as my entire body shudders amid the sounds of thunderous applause at the end of Torchwick's speech.

"A what!?" Sun exclaims as I turn back to look at the large man who's about to take the fore once again.

"A Master of the Dark Side of the Force! Sun, we should get out of here."

But the Lieutenant's next announcement makes that course of action all but impossible.

"Will all new recruits, please come forward!"

Sun involuntarily yelps as the line surges forward, the two of us having to follow.

"What are we going to do!?"

"I'm thinking..." I muse, but at the moment I sense the ripple in the Force from the stage zero in on me, I already know it's too late.

"He _sees_ us..." Sun comments nervously, waving at Roman as he recognizes us.

But that ripple... it's from the cloaked figure who, despite the hooded face, I know is now facing me directly. As much as I'd love to find out more about the strongest Force-sensitive in this room by far, I go with the more prudent course of action as I notice the junction box on the wall.

"He can't see in the dark."

_BLAM!_

"Don't let them get away!"

"Sun! The window!"

"Stop them!"

_CRASH!_

At this point, I honestly don't feel the need to go into great detail over what happens next. Our escape over the rooftops from a giant robot chasing after us is followed by a desperate call for backup that turns into a highway chase, a sequence of events that I find oddly reminiscent of some other event that I still can't quite put my finger on. The word _machinima_ inexplicably comes to mind... But I digress.

At one point or another, Sun and Neptune are lost in the battle and we manage to derail the giant Paladin, only to nearly lose Yang as well to a savage fist-strike after a flurry of our combo attacks. However, thanks to Ruby's brilliant leadership and Yang's semblance, the Paladin is laid to waste as Roman rolls out on the pavement defeated.

Getting up, slightly dazed but unharmed, Roman inspects the damage while brushing himself off, "_Just_ got this thing cleaned..."

I don't understand... A Dark Lord right here in Vale. He could brutally murder every one of us, right here, right now. Yet he _doesn't_.

I almost reach out to stop Yang who, still burning with her absorbed power, fires a single shot at the seemingly defenseless thief, but he's saved at the last instant when the two-toned girl from the meeting drops in front of him and merely opens her pink umbrella, deflecting the blast entirely. The new arrival hangs the weapon over her shoulder as Roman addresses us.

"Ladies, Ice Queen..."

"Hey!" Weiss exclaims in offense.

"Always a pleasure! Neo, if you would..."

The pink-and-brown girl curtsies with a bow, but Yang, having none of it, charges forth with fists raised to strike the outlaws... only to break their image as if made out of a mirror and turn just in time to see them escape in a Bullhead. The rest of us quickly run up to her side as her fiery aura cools off.

"So I guess he got a new henchman..."

...Yep. One with the ability to create a perfect Force Illusion.

_Roman_

"Agh!" I can't help cry out as I remove the last ice patch that had somehow found its way under my sleeves. Neo simply stares at me indicatively.

"..."

"Oh, _quiet_, you! There's a reason why I didn't waste them right there with a Force blast! Too many witnesses from above!"

"..."

"Hah! Ha _ha!_ Kill them with their own weapons!? Are you _hearing_ this, man?" I jeer, goading my trusty pilot - whatever his name is - to join me in my derisive rant.

"Uh... I'd rather not take sides on this one."

"Fine, I must be crazy then," I concede ruefully until stopping myself short, "...I mean, I _know_ I'm crazy, but even _that_ idea sounds like something out of some crackpot TV show where the Demon Head of some league of shadowy assassins kills some hooded vigilante with his own weapon!"

"..."

I scoff at Neo's amused smirk, "I _know_ that's actually a real show!"

Having had her fun, I imagine how nice it would be to shove her out of the ship while she turns and takes her seat with a silent chuckle. Unfortunately, her teleportation ability would rob me of the satisfaction of enjoying the fruits on my labor. Anywho, now to the next order of business.

"And _speaking_ of hooded nuisances..." I begin as I turn to the fourth passenger in the Bullhead, "Care to explain _why_ you didn't feel the need to lend a hand?"

"Just following your lead," the reply came flatly as my cloaked apprentice pulled his hood down to reveal that dumb blonde mop of hair, "It'd be unwise for me to reveal myself and my abilities so soon."

I advance on him, about to about to smack him on the head before I catch myself and pause mid-swing.

"You know what... You're catching on pretty quick, kid. Wouldn't want people to know what we can do, would we?"

"Like your 'employer'?"

Ugh, this little brat is too smart for his own good sometimes.

"That's right, kiddo. That's right," I pat him on the shoulder as I support myself on the wall behind the pilot's seat, watching ahead as the airship makes its way toward that green lighthouse of an Academy to drop off our blonde companion, "We'll be able to talk more about _him_ later..."

And when all that is said and done, that old fool will never know what hit him.

* * *

_Blake_

"Ow! Hey- OW! I said we're sorry!" Neptune cries out as Weiss delivers her final smack on the rather unfortunate victim at A Simple Wok.

"Then _next_ time, you'd better be absolutely _certain_ to follow through with your comrades in arms until the end of a battle!"

"Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing _straight_," Neptune replies in a huff, "I take orders from just _one_ person: me!"

Weiss scoffs as she retorts, "It's a _wonder_ you're still alive."

She then turns and walks away in an even bigger huff, but not before pushing past Sun and shouting, "Will someone get this big walking _carpet_ out of my way!?"

Sun throws up his arms as Weiss disappears in the distance inside some generic transport back to Beacon, "Once again, I'm _not_ that hairy!"

Yang walks over to the distraught teen and bends over, causing him to yelp in pain much like Neptune as she plucks a hair from his calf and shows it to him, his face turning red with pain and... something _else_.

"Dude. You have _pubes_ for leg-hair."

And for the first time that night, I can't help but laugh as the Monkey-Faunus begins to rage in front of us, yelling an entire dictionary's worth of obscenities while stomping around and causing the poor shopkeep of the noodle stand to cower in a corner.

Yang and I are about to step in for a fairly direct intervention when Neptune takes matters with his old friend into his own hands.

"Sun! Sun, focus! Listen, to my voice!"

"_SHUT UP_, YOU USELESS HETEROSEXUAL! AND SWISS FU-"_Can_ you _please_ stop cussing!?"-_CHEESE_ THAT HURT!" Sun yells back as Ruby interrupts him mid-sentence with her hands on her ears.

"DUDE!" Neptune tries again, grabbing him by the arm as the monkey-tailed blonde flails about, "Goosfraba! _Goosfraba!_"

"RRGH! ...G-Goosfraba!"

"That's good. Slower," he continues as Sun finally shows signs of calming down.

"Goos...fraba..."

And after a few more seconds, a much calmer Sun takes a deep breath and relaxes.

Neptune pats him on the shoulder, "How do you feel?"

"Better."

"Sorry ladies, it's a condition," Neptune explains to us as Sun sheepishly shrugs in agreement, "I guess it's high time we call it a night."

They turn away and walk towards another transport as a chuckling Yang and pouting Ruby turn to face me.

"Well _that_ was a thing!" Yang begins in amusement.

"M-My poor virgin ears..." Ruby complains before her sister pats her consolingly on the back.

"Don't worry, Rubes, it only hurts the first time!"

I facepalm loudly at the terrible choice of words, a mistake Yang quickly notices with a beet-red blush before adding, "Aaand, subject change, anyone?"

"Yes please!" A confused Ruby shouts before training her gaze on me, "Blake! Um... what did you and Sun find in the warehouse?"

Taking a deep breath to regain my composure as I nearly laugh again at the shade of red that Yang has yet to control, I attempt to keep my report both informative and concise.

"The White Fang are working together with Roman, as we suspected, but we never imagined the scope of their resources... Let's just say that the Paladin and the dozens like it are going to be the _least_ of our problems."

Calming down a bit at the severity of my demeanor, Yang asks with furrowed brows, "Whaddaya mean, Blakey?"

I continue as both sisters now focus their attention on me, "I mean, Roman is much more powerful that we first thought. That, and there were several other individuals of interest at the meeting that I was unable to identify... Namely, a cloaked Force-sensitive with an unbelievably strong Aura."

"Well, that's something we'll have to be careful with," Ruby hedges with a pensive expression, "We'll ask Weiss more about it since she has access to her family records and stuff... Maybe they have info that can help the four of us beat someone like that."

I shake my head at the optimistic plan, "No, Ruby. You don't understand, this person had a presence in the force unlike anything I've ever seen before..."

But slowing down and finally stopping in my train of thought, I notice my teammates raise their brows as I turn my head back in Beacon's direction, looking over the few air transports headed in its direction.

"Well... Not _entirely_ unlike anything I've seen before..."

That sensation, that aura, so oddly familiar... It's a presence I haven't felt since...

"Uh, Blake?" Yang asks, the concern in her voice evident, a tone that her sister mirrors perfectly once she speaks up as well.

"Something wrong?"

I sigh and close my eyes, shaking my head to silence the nagging thought in my mind.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

* * *

**A/N: Hi there, TPS here! I won't try and write a 300 word note explaining why it's been two weeks since my last update (besides, I'm pretty sure nobody wants to hear about it, heh). But life is pretty busy right now in a good way, so I'll leave it at that :)**

**Now, if you're like me, you're probably wondering... What in the world is it with Weiss and Neptune in the show!? What makes Vasilias so different? I don't know. It may irk some, so I hope this portrayal of the pair doesn't do the same. Why? Cuz I've arbitrarily decided to give them a parallel to another SW pairing that I've decided to pick up and run with to see where it goes :D Ideas? By all means, I'm totally open to suggestions via PM! :)**

**If you like the story so far, feel free to show your support with a fave and follow, as your love for SW crossovers helps fuel my love for SW crossovers too! And if you're feeling _really_ generous, feel free to leave a review, too :D thanks again to everyone who's supported this fic so far and the rest of my other crazy RWBY fics, and I'll be seeing you guys around with the next chapter soon! **

**Happy Reading!**


	9. The Fruits Reaped

**_The Fruits Reaped_**

* * *

_Jaune_

_CLASH! KSHHHHH! CLANGGGG!_

I can feel my heart racing as I twist Crocea Mors in midair to counter another swift strike from Miló, the crimson-gold spear likely shaving off a small patch of stubble under my chin before I can grate it to a stop. Despite Pyrrha's momentary hesitation, a nearly infinitesimal flinch along with her widened eyes, I force her to continue as I bring my collapsed shield down like a second blade. Unwilling to give up the match, she dodges the slash with a nimble duck and holds up her shield on time to block my next volley of attacks before nearly grazing my leg with a bullet from her spear.

Not that it wasn't what I was looking for.

Sure, I was nowhere near Pyrrha's skill level with all forms of Mistrali combat, but I had definitely found my niche. So I'd gone to letting things get as dangerous as possible for me - dodging blades and bullets by mere fractions of an inch - to numb myself to the close calls that seriously would've made the me from a few months ago go boo-boo on myself.

Sure, she'd nearly fainted the first time she thought she'd split my jugular wide open, but it was just a badly calculated risk on my part. No harm done! But fighting this way... _boy_ was that a lot of fun! Besides, Roman was riding me way harder than this, so playing things on the edge like this against Pyrrha was really the only way I could get the same thrill out of sparring anymore.

"Don't go easy on me, 'kay?" I shout playfully as I brandish my blade and shield with sides I had collapsed in a way that could keep the razor-sharp shield edge exposed all around, effectively turning it into a second blade.

She charges me with a fiendish smirk and a determined grunt of exertion as she flings her shield at me, a projectile I can easily predict and dodge as it careens about an inch away from my face and I begin engaging her in dual-bladed combat. Sensing her shield coming back behind me, I whirl my blades around as fast as Roman had taught me could be done and get her to falter long enough to duck and watch as her own shield hits her right in the stomach.

Popping up, I spin to land on her and swing my blade to an inch away from her neck just as she turns on the ground in an effort to recover.

"Yield."

I can feel the exhilaration practically pouring out of me as the both of us remain motionless for a moment on that rooftop that breezy morning, each of us having ditched our armor nearly an hour ago in the heat of our brawl. The sun is barely starting to come up, but at this point, we're both already hot sweaty messes... But _I'm_ the sweaty mess that finally came out on top for the second time in our duels!

"Not going to happen," Pyrrha retorts with a surprising smirk as I stand above her with my blade poised in its killing stroke.

"Pyr, if this were real, I could have you bleed out in less than ten seconds with a flick of my sword!"

Her smirk grows into a full-blown grin as she quips in return, "I could say the same... _Jaune._"

Following her pointed glance, I look down to see Miló lightly pressed against my inner right thigh - the location of an equally vulnerable femoral artery and also a killing stroke - and grunt in frustration. _Another_ stalemate.

"Alright, _fine_. It's a tie..."

"Don't look so gloomy about it," she remarks with an amused tone as she holds out a hand and I pick her up off the floor, "We've been coming to a stalemate much more often lately!"

But as I finish pulling her up, I accidentally put too much force into it and over-pull, causing her to lose balance and tumble forward a bit. She has no option but to fall forward onto me and I catch her by her bare shoulders as she props herself with her arms against my chest to keep from crashing into me. She looks up and her surprised emerald green eyes lock onto mine for a single long moment.

Now, this normally wouldn't be too bad a thing... But having ditched our armor, my pauldrons and hoodie lie somewhere across the rooftop along with the leather-bound top layer of Pyrrha's armor, leaving me in my orange tee and her in her tan tube top. In each other's arms. Chest to ches- Oh dear goodness Monty in heaven _don't look down, Jaune!_

"I-I'm so sorry!" I stammer as I take a step back, seeing that she seemed practically frozen in place by the sudden proximity. But still, I'm pretty sure my blush is matching hers since I was close enough to really admire that glow she always has - especially in combat - every feature on her face as close to perfect as Monty himself could get as I even notice the adorable nearly skin-tone freckles that few people ever realize she actually has.

Not that I'd actually compliment her about it. She'd probably kill me.

She finally seems to start breathing again and shakes it off, a smile replacing her expression of temporary shock as she speaks up, "N-No, I... must have tripped. My apologies."

"I was probably overly forceful as well. I'll be more careful next time," I reply reassuringly as I walk up beside her and place my hand on her shoulder, which strangely enough causes her to blush again. She can be really difficult to understand sometimes.

I start to walk past her to pick up my shield right behind where she stood, and when I stand to face her, I'm surprised to see she's now got a curious look on her face.

"Speaking of forceful, Jaune," she begins as she eyes my weapons, "You seem to have taken a liking to dual-wielding. At first, it seemed you had adopted the Niman form of combat, but lately I see you've begun relying solely on Juyo Jar'kai."

"Juyo?"

"Yes, the original variation of the seventh form of Mistrali sword combat," she continues while pensively circling around me, "It relies on deep concentration but is an erratic - and some would say _chaotic_ \- technique, making it the most dangerous of them all. It is also rather taxing on one's Aura, but you seem to handle it rather well..."

"I... guess I get to thank this big ole Aura of mine," I chuckle nervously as I let my Aura coalesce in my hand, causing it to glow temporarily to show my point.

"True," she states as she stops in front of me, hand to her chin in thought, "But I never taught you that technique."

_Crap_. Holy flying megacrap.

"Uh, well..." jeez me, think fast! "I figure I must've taken Vaapad and put more of myself into it, y'know? I guess the result must be a lot like the Juyo variation you're talking about."

"Well, Juyo _does_ involve a deeper emotional link," she muses aloud as she looks up and and away from me in thought, surely rolling my explanation through her mind for fact-checking like she tends to do, "And your level of focus does seem to suit the style, explaining why it might come naturally to you... It makes sense."

"See?" I reply, definitely relieved that there wasn't suspicion of any other combat tutoring I had been getting.

But still, her expression quickly goes from pensive to concerned as she looks at me, "_But_, the Juyo form is dangerous to both the opponent and the user as well, Jaune. It is a style that demands aggression and a sense of thrill from combat that if left unchecked can turn the user of such a form into a vicious swordsman with little regard to justice or mercy in combat. That is why that variation is no longer taught in Mistrali academies, it is unbefitting for what true Huntsmen stand for."

"You say 'aggression', but I like to think of it as controlled passion," I mention with a shrug as I defend my choice of style, "As for the thrill... I'm not gonna lie, you have to admit that the surge of emotions in a fight can be pretty useful if used to their maximum potential, giving me the internal strength to do more than I normally could-"

"-While clouding your judgment and augmenting the risk of leaving a fatal opening in such an offensively-based form," Pyrrha adds with a cocked brow.

"Emotions don't cloud your judgment as long as you use them with control," I quip in response.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Really?" She asks with a growing smirk. Why's she smirking?

"Yaaasss."

"..._Really?_"

My frustration gets the better of me as I deadpan at my partner, who looks like she's telling the biggest joke ever before I retort, "_Yes_-WHOA!"

_WHUMP!_

And before I know it, I'm on my rear on top of the floor, my legs suddenly having been taken out from under me by none other than that Oum-forsaken spear!

"Oww, you did that on purpose!"

"Did I?" Pyrrha asks with a surprisingly innocent look. Her best poker face, I'm sure.

"_Yes_."

"You can't prove that~" she responds with a teasing tone and a rare derpy smile. I just... I just can't stay mad at her when she does that!

Sighing in exasperation, I can't help a smile of my own as I reach out my arm and she picks me up, "For the record, that doesn't prove anything."

"Of course not!" She declares with a light-hearted chuckle as I straighten out my shirt, then pouting pensively before continuing, "So, are you ready to move on to Aura?"

Ugh... Aura.

We'd been continuing our exercises with aura after sparring matches even though Glynda was giving me weekly lessons on how to control my Semblance as well as the brutal combat training I'd been getting from Roman that forced me to use both my physicality and my aura. I mean, an aurakinetic semblance can only help you so much if your own aura is pretty lame, so I figure focusing on my aura itself from time to time with Pyr wouldn't hurt.

But after what had happened earlier this week, the last thing I wanted to do was use my aura. I still couldn't believe I'd seen Blake and Sun at that meeting, of all people! But what got me the most wasn't that... no, it's what Blake had _done_.

"Er, Jaune?"

I'm startled by Pyrrha's voice suddenly interrupting my train of thought and quickly backtrack in my mind to recall the question she had asked me in the first place.

"Uh, I'm thinking maybe we skip Aura for today? Might go on a jog or something."

"Come _on_," she replies with a warm smile, "I know you get frustrated by how much Miss Goodwitch and the Headmaster monitor your use of your semblance, but you can always feel free to use your aura up here!"

"That's not it. It's just," I hesitate as I look down, unsure on how much I should be telling her in the first place, "...It's dumb."

"What is it?" Pyrrha now asks, and I feel myself flooded with warm intention as she comes up to me and places her hand on my slumped shoulder... _her_ warm intentions that I can feel through the Force, "_Jaune_, you know you can tell me..."

Oh who am I kidding? Maybe it's the fact that the Force Empathy between us is influencing me at the moment, but she _is_ my partner after all. I can at least tell her a little bit.

"It's... Blake."

Maybe my concentration broke or something, but the warm intention suddenly vanishes as I notice my partner's smile fall ever so slightly.

"_Oh_... What about her?"

Oh, not much. Just the fact that Blake is apparently Force-sensitive.

Ack, I probably should've thought this through a bit more, "Uh, well... I guess she's not the person I thought she was once. Just when I was starting to get to know her better, it's like a whole new side to her she'd never mentioned before just came out of nowhere!"

"You... Think it may have something to do with what's been keeping her awake these last few days?" she asks with sudden concern.

I guess I'm not the only one who noticed. I hate to admit it, but after the events at the White Fang recruitment center, I could sense that Blake had started losing sleep over her fixation on taking out Roman. And finding me. Well... not that she _knows_ it's me, but I can't risk her finding out. So I'd been avoiding her since then.

"Uh, I'm not sure? She and I haven't exactly spoken lately..." Ugh! I always sound unsure in these situations!

And sure enough, Pyrrha crosses her arms and glares at me with a raised brow, speaking up with an sterner tone, "Jaune. The only time you end a statement like a question is when you lie..."

She knows me too well.

But instead of preading for more info, she suddenly deadpans and her mouth nearly drops open as she seems to reach some kind of conclusion, "_Wait_... A-Are you both...?"

Wait... What.

"Wait, what?"

"I-It makes so much sense now," she continues as her gaze drifts away from me, hand to her head in disbelief and almost staggering back as if she were hit by a sack of bricks, "The late nights you didn't come back, her interest in the Force, your dual-wielding..."

_Waiiit a second!_

"Whoa now, I think we're getting a little carried away here! Blake and I are _not_ an item!"

"You're not," Pyrrha asks flatly, albeit suspiciously.

"No. And that's a _big_ no. She's way out of my league!" I exclaim, still shocked on how Pyrrha even came up with that idea in the first place.

I can literally feel the sudden wave of embarrassment wash over her through my semblance, a feeling that's confirmed by the sudden onset of a raging blush in her cheeks.

Heh, I want to smile and tell her it's all okay, but she looks up at me and I can immediately tell she's not quite convinced yet.

"Then... Then who are you asking to the dance this weekend?"

I freeze to the spot as the thought comes to mind. The dance is this week? I really hadn't thought of it at all, really.

"Well," I begin slowly, sheepishly scratching the back of my head, "I don't think I'm going to ask anyone, I'll probably go alone."

"Alone?" She asks, almost wide-eyed at my answer.

"Well yeah, who would I ask?"

Pyrrha gives out a half-chuckle. Not sure if the other half was disbelief or just poking fun at me.

"I think the saying goes: There's... plenty of fish in the sea," she finally adds without breaking eye contact, both hands now held behind her back as a small smile grows on her face.

"But I only know _you_ guys."

The smile drops. Seriously, _what_ am I doing wrong here!?

"...And?"

"_And?_" I echo blankly, "You've probably got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you out."

Arms still crossed, she merely blows out a bang that had fallen in front of her face and replies, "You'd... be surprised..."

The thought of Pyrrha - _Pyrrha_, of all people - not having a date to the dance crosses my mind. I quickly dismiss the thought.

"Oh _please_," I begin nonchalantly, and am about to make a pretty good bet I had just thought up involving a dress when a sudden buzzing from my nearby hoodie catches my attention, "Wait, what's that?"

"I'm getting something too," Pyrrha remarks as she pulls out her scroll from her side pouch and reads the common message, "It's from Ruby. It seems Professor Peach's class has been cancelled today due to an assembly being held. I wonder what it's about?"

I look at my scroll and notice that there's another pending message aside from Ruby's. I pull it up and realize it's from the Headmaster's office, paraphrasing its contents to my partner, "It's some sort of important news. Straight from Atlas. Looks like every leader was sent a message to relay this to their teams and meet at the auditorium before breakfast..."

"She seems to have sent this message to the four of us as well," Pyrrha remarks pensively, her brows furrowing like they always do when she's trying to make sense of something.

Likely, it's Ruby's roundabout way of telling us not to be strangers. But personally, I feel her team and I may already be too close for comfort.

"Well, we should probably make sure to tell Ren and Nora ourselves," I add while checking the sun which has already risen completely, "Knowing Nora, she probably hasn't checked her scroll yet and Ren may be too busy taking care of her to have noticed his."

Pyrrha merely glances at her scroll, glances at me, glances back down at her scroll, sighs and puts it away before picking up her things.

"Then I believe it's best we get going."

She begins to walk away, and even though I can't see her face, I feel something within me eating away at my insides like a bottomless pit and giving me this terrible feeling of hopelessness... and that's when it clicks.

My big, dumb, stupid self, always having been known as the densest person in my family and really having lived up to Weiss' favorite adjective for me - dolt - have _finally_ figured out what I've been doing wrong thanks to the empathy abilities from my semblance! I can only imagine how long this would've taken without it!

"Um, Pyrrha?" I ask, my voice almost a squeak as she reaches the door and opens it. Heh, maybe it's the fact my voice rarely cracks like that anymore that causes her to freeze, her hand still on the open door handle.

"Yes, Jaune."

The reply is flat. But only to the untrained eye. Realizing how stupid of me it's been to ignore what my semblance has been trying to tell me for the past few minutes, it takes only a second to pick apart those words to sense the frustration and sorrow lurking beneath them. That, and hope... yes, there it is... welp, I still could be wrong, but here goes a small step between patching things up between me and my amazing partner, and a big leap for my wishful understanding of women someday.

"Uh... W-Would you like to go to the dance with me this weekend?"

* * *

_Ruby_

It just doesn't... make... sense.

There is no way. That any of this. Makes any sense!

_It's completely insensitive!_ Wait. Or is it 'insensible'? ...'Nonsensical'?

"If you keep scrunching you face like that, it'll stay that way dunce," Weiss quips as she stands at the mirror fixing her tiara, easily seeing my reflection from where she's standing as I sit at the edge of my bunk in deep thought.

"Well for your _information_," I fire back, "Yang says I make this face all the time and it hasn't gotten stuck like that _once!_ So, joke's on you!"

She rolls her eyes as I stick my tongue out at her reflection. It's still a win for me!

"Hey Rubes, you're sure this thing you got messaged about is for the whole school to watch?" Yang asks as she rummages through her things for her uniform blazer.

"Well yeah - I mean, that's what the message said," I answer as I wave my scroll at her before looking down at a half-dressed Blake, "Hey Blake, you still with us?"

She's sitting on the edge of her bunk too but looks like she's fallen asleep while putting on her stockings. Has she really gone so long without a decent night's sleep? But looking back over her shoulder, I see my sister get that look in her eye that she always gets when she's up to something, and before I can get down from my bunk she holds out a hand for me to stop.

"Don't worry sis, I got this," she states with a devilish smirk before cupping her hands around her mouth and moving right next to Blake... And doing a near perfect impression of Zwei barking.

"BARK BARK! Bowowowowow!"

Of course, this causes poor Blake to wake up and nearly jump out of her half-pulled-on stockings, hissing angrily at the barking just like a cat would! I can't help but chuckle along with Yang, who's pretty much laughing her head off as Blake glares at her and goes back to getting dressed while Weiss shakes her head at the scene like she usually does.

"I'm surrounded by dolts and dunces," she mumbles to herself before looking up at me with a softer glare which surprises me, "Ruby, you're positive that this assembly is related to news from _Atlas_, and not just another local story?"

I shrug as I reply, "Mm well yeah, otherwise what would be the point of getting everyone together? Local news just comes out on VNN."

"True," Blake, now completely dressed, begins as she slowly picks herself off her bed, "But the last time there was a multi-kingdom broadcast like this was after the Mountain Glenn incident many years ago."

"Yeah, I heard that was really bad," Yang adds after a whistle of sympathy.

"Not just bad. _Catastrophic_. Many people were lost that day the Grimm broke through the town's final defenses. I wonder what may be the case now?" Blake muses aloud before I look down at my scroll in thought.

"Well... Only one way to find out!" I exclaim as I hop off my bed and yank my cloak off a nearby chair to put it on, "Let's go, team!"

Only a few minutes later, we get to the main auditorium where most of the student body is already together in wait for the news. Whatever it is. I try to listen in to a few whispers around us and don't really seem to be getting any more info, the crowded auditorium that has plenty of students visiting from other academies for the festival making it hard for us to move around. I sigh, just about ready to give up eavesdropping until someone nudges me on my side.

"Well would you look at that~" I turn to see my sister gazing at something across from us with that scheming look in her eye, "I wonder what's gotten _her_ so happy today?"

Following her stare, a flash of crimson catches my eye as I notice Pyrrha turn her head several feet away from us. And wow, she's practically _glowing_ in happiness, her grin pretty much ear-to-ear as she catches up to Jaune a few feet further down and they trade a quick meaningful look before he takes her arm in his to stay together in the crowd.

"Wait a second, did he just-? Are they finally-?" Yang starts blabbering, the disbelief in her wide eyes obvious as I chuckle at the sight.

"What's going on?" I hear Blake ask as she and Weiss push their way through some of the crowd to reach us. Well, _Weiss_ was doing most of the pushing.

But before my stunned sis can turn to answer, the squealing feedback blares out through the speakers, making everyone wince and turn to the platform as Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch stand by the mic.

'_Attention. Attention, students_,' Miss Goodwitch begins as the auditorium slowly gets really quiet, '_No doubt many of you are wondering why we've gathered you all here today, so we ask for your undivided attention in the following announcement that Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy has to say. Headmaster?_'

She looks back at Ozpin with her last question, giving him space to walk up to the mic.

'_Thank you. I'll be getting right to the point. This morning, we shall be relaying some breaking news from the kingdom of Atlas, the first multi-kingdom broadcast in decades. This is truly a momentous occasion, and we invite you all to watch the following presentation as it unfolds live from the Council Headquarters of Atlas, presented by my fellow Headmaster and esteemed colleague, General James Ironwood._'

The lights around the auditorium dim as a large image gets projected on the wall over Ozpin, everyone keeping quiet as the General walks onto a platform in front of a large line of the standard Atlas androids on-screen after being introduced to speak. It looks like a really big press conference or something, lots of flash photography popping up around the stage as people start clapping for his entrance. He holds out both arms to quiet the initial clapping from the people at the event and finally starts his speech.

_'Thank you, thank you all for coming here today for this significant occasion! Now, as you all know, the AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?_' he begins with gusto, the clapping of the live audience and the eventual clapping of everyone in our auditorium ringing out as the drones behind him take a jerky bow, '_But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Atlesian Knight-200!_'

Many of us in the auditorium gasp as the curtains behind the General and his androids drop, uncovering six new, bulkier and shinier androids standing on a slightly higher platform behind the AK-130s that knock them down and proudly stand over them as the clapping starts again.

'_Oh yes! Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly... a little less scary,_' he continues as the new robots behind him flex and point in cool positions, '_These models will become active later this year in limited quantities, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch._'

"I have a really bad feeling about what he's getting at," Blake whispers to us while Ironwood steps aside from his podium.

'_So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Atlesian Paladin!_'

Suddenly, the podium goes down, leaving a flat circular device on the ground next to the General that then projects a huge hologram of a robotic white battle suit with hinged piston legs, large guns for hands, and a rectangular head, standing at least twice as tall as the Knights below it. It probably would've made me squee in joy at its awesomeness had it not been for the fact that one of them tried to kill us already!

'_Now, we couldn't have him here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!_'

A third round of applause starts throughout the audience and even through our auditorium too, mostly from the students visiting from Atlas as they cheer for the good news.

"Weird," Yang starts talking as she half-heartedly claps beside me, "Why would the General make a multi-kingdom broadcast out of something that only affects their own kingdom?"

"I'd say it's definitely worth broadcasting," Weiss answers behind us with a tinge of pride, "Cooperation between Atlas military and the Schnee Dust Company has reached unprecedented heights in recent years. Doubtlessly, he intends to possibly share the might of the new mechanized army with the rest of Remnant!"

"Psh, I dunno about that," I remark off-handedly, "They look pretty cool, but getting protection from an army of clones doesn't compare to the feeling of knowing that _Huntsmen_ have our backs out there!"

"Clones?" Yang asks with a smirk and raised brow.

"Yep."

"Nerd."

"Hey! They all look the same, like a bunch of troopers that can only manage to storm the Grimm with large numbers."

Weiss scoffs behind me before correcting, "I believe the term you're looking for is _Stormtroo_-"

"You're all missing the point," Blake now interrupts with mild annoyance, "We're facing a huge problem here. They're not even aware that their technology is in production, much less by _whom_."

None of us really have an answer for that, and we just keep quiet as the next few minutes go by with people and reporters asking questions on the broadcast. Honestly, I think I stop paying attention after the first question about production cost and stuff.

Finally over, the screen shuts off and Miss Goodwitch dismisses us to go to our next classes.

"We have some time before next period," Blake mentions as people start leaving the auditorium, "I'm going to the library to continue researching those mechs and local Dust robberies. Maybe there's a connection."

She turns and leaves, and I look at Yang who's watching Blake leave with narrowed eyes.

Weiss huffs at my other side and crosses her arms before speaking up with barely hidden worry, "Hmph. I take it she hasn't even considered going to the dance this weekend? She _can't_ sleep, she _hardly_ eats, and I'm _quite_ certain that even her grades are suffering."

"Well what're we gonna do?" I ask, raising my arms in desperation, "We've tried to convince her all week and we're getting nowhere with that!"

"Don't worry," Yang now states curiously as she takes out a small laser pointer, "Blake will be at the dance this weekend."

Weiss and I watch as she then follows Blake out of the cafeteria before turning to each other and shrugging.

"Very well," Weiss begins with that authority tone in her voice that can't mean anything good, "Ruby Rose, I hereby recruit you as my planning aide for the upcoming dance!"

I deadpan at my partner, who seems to be totally serious right now.

"W-Wait. Huh?"

She cracks a rare smile as she explains, "Well, being the case that team CFVY's away mission is going much longer than expected, your sister and I were charged with planning the entire event! Being that she's currently _occupied_, I'll be needing your company as I choose materials for the event. I'm thinking we begin with... Table cloths!"

_Noooo_... Nonononono!

"D'ohhhhh!" is about all I can say as she then grabs me by my hood and drags me out of the auditorium. I'm pretty sure she's getting back at me for dragging her to the CCT.

Ugh, oh well.

* * *

_Roman_

'_It's done. They do not suspect the release of the Paladin plans, and I've ensured it stay that way. You'll do best to do the same by refraining from any... reckless... activities._'

I sneer at the voice over my comm device as I light a cigar in the old not-so-dark warehouse, more light coming through now from the giant hole in the building that I left after chasing after those stupid kids in the Paladin.

"You don't _say?_ Surely you wouldn't think I'd go and try to break Vale with the military tech you've provided, would you?"

'_You nearly did, if I recall correctly. Many people had to die to keep any recordings of said incident to surface in the media. Your impatience could prove rather costly in the future, my very unwise apprentice_.'

"I pinky promise it won't happen again."

A low growl comes through the line in response. Perfect, that's the reaction I wanted from the fool. Don't blame _me_ if I can't help smiling at his lack of humor.

'_Nonetheless, my purpose in calling you today is to ensure that all the pieces are in place now that word of the new troops are out._'

I sigh nonchalantly before replying, "They are. The White Fang mongrels are waiting for Fall's orders as we speak. We even have the perfect entry time set up so that nothing can be tracked back to us."

'_Oh? Do elaborate._'

"Of course. She and her two little goonies have already infiltrated Beacon and are currently posing as Haven students. Hah! I guess the old hag wants to play young again... Anyway, they'll be making their move in two days time while security is focused on a school event that evening."

'_Ah yes, the Festival dance. I'll be sure to ensure her success after the deed is done._'

"Are you sure? That sounds risky, especially after all the lengths you've gone through to escape detection by the Masters."

The voice scoffs bitterly before replying, '_The fools wouldn't suspect a thing even if I did so right in front of them. They and their pestilence of their Order will soon fall to our plans..._'

"Good! Cuz I'm getting tired of shirking around in this dump. I'll be the happiest of campers as soon as we have Remant under our control!"

I should say... _my_ control. But that time will come soon enough.

'_Hmm_...' The voice comes through after a slight pause, '_Very well. Once the virus has taken hold of the Mistral and Vacuo towers as well, we will have all the incentive we need to rally the four kingdoms' feeble politicians to our cause._'

"Pencil pushers. How I abhor their incessant squabbling," I quip with a mock regal tone.

'_Yes. I always did detest their beauracratic nonsense. I will greatly enjoy using my present influence to bend the entire system to my will._'

I can't help a short laugh at the simplicity of it all. For an asinine old man, his background in military strategy certainly has his merits.

"Well, that's why you're the boss," I respond, a tinge of giddiness bubbling up inside in anticipation of the events that are soon to take place, "But before you end our little chat, there was one more thing I wanted to add, my Master..."

Another pause in the large dark warehouse before the answer, '_Yes?_'

Picturing his reaction to my next words puts an ear-to-ear grin on my face as I finish.

"You look good on camera."

* * *

_Blake_

I stare off into space as I remain seated on the desk in the large empty classroom, once again alone.

In the words of the girl that just left, That was a thing.

I sigh as I let my hands fall from my shoulders to my arms, the residual warmth from her hug still emanating through me as I let her words sink to heart. Despite herself, Yang really does have her moments.

I'm tired. I know I am. But she's right; if I barely have the strength to remain upright, I can't possibly hope to face a Dark Master like Roman, much less the mysterious cloaked figure I saw at the recruitment center. Slowly standing, I feel the anxiety wash over me again, the need for me to continue my search to uncover that person's identity almost winning me over before I firmly push it back into remission.

At this point, I'm not even capable of using my limited Force abilities to find him anyway.

"Some rest really does sound good right about now," I hedge to myself as I make my way to the door.

But no sooner do I open the door when-

_POW!_

"Yow! Oww... I really should've seen that one coming!"

I jump in surprise, immediately concerned for the person I just hit my opening the classroom door when I notice the scraggly knight on the floor holding the front of his head in his hands.

"Jaune? Oh, I'm so sorry!"

He freezes for just a moment, presumably startled to realize it's me, before looking up at me and sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "B-Blake!? Oh uh, it's fine, I guess I wasn't paying attention."

As I pick him up, nearly falling myself in my weakened state, I can't help my curiosity once I notice him completely alone, "What are you doing in these parts? If... I'm not mistaken, your next class is across campus, isn't it?"

"Heh, yeah," he continues with an apologetic smile, my neck craning back a bit to look at him now that he's standing straighter and is several inches taller than me, "I got mixed up with my next class and have to go back to my room to pick up ol' Crocea Mors!"

"Ah yes," I recall with a light chuckle, "Last chance to practice for the big combat test on Monday. Afraid you'll be singled out against an entire team of students?"

His face blushes as he looks down awkwardly, "Actually, yeah. I'm no pro at this, so I should probably practice as much as I can... you know, just in case."

I have to admit, I can't help a faint smile at his honesty. Most guys try to be macho about these things - don't even get me started on Adam - but it's refreshing to see someone keep a humble head about their shoulders, even if they have a semblance strong enough to handle multiple opponents.

But my smile fades as he awkwardly turns and begins walking away before shouting over his shoulder, "Anyway, take care!"

"H-Hey wait!" I shout before I can stop myself, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

When he turns back, I can tell he's nervous about something. Is the prospect of combat really weighing down so much on him?

"Umm... What's up?" he asks with an obvious mask of calmness.

I shake my head at him, holding back a small grin. Despite our mere acquaintance, he's technically still the boy I've spoken most with at Beacon since the beginning of the year... and Jaune _isn't_ the most difficult person to read.

Nevertheless, maybe it's due to my fatigue, but I find surprisingly little internal resistance to the onset of the idea of offering him the same kind of encouragement that Yang had just given me. After all, I _did_ just hit him on the head with a door.

"Look, for what it's worth... I think you'd do quite fine in a sparring match."

Much to my groggy satisfaction, I notice his face definitely light up for a moment before suddenly becoming pensive.

And finally turning completely to face me once more, he cracks a smirk as he replies, "Heh, I guess I'm still not used to pep talks from people outside my team. Thanks, Blake!"

"Don't mention it," I reply happily before looking back over his shoulder, "Well, I guess I should be going. I'm going to try and pick up a book from the library and head back to the dorm to rest."

"That's... good," he replies slowly, his air of insecurity slowly reappearing around him, "It looks like you've had a lot on your mind for the past few days."

I practically snort at the remark, both at the veracity and the source of the statement, "Well I'd say if anyone outside of my teammates could ascertain my troubles, it'd be _you_, Jaune."

I raise a brow as I notice what almost looks like panic briefly flash across his face. Maybe I'm just really tired. But if there was any panic, it doesn't last long... His expression softens as he speaks up.

"I guess so... But I wouldn't want to pry or anything like that. Still, if there were any way I could help, I'd try my best," he mentions with a weak chuckle.

"I appreciate that. Unfortunately, this is an endeavor I'm not entirely sure I can handle on my own..." I let my gaze fall on him as I adopt a mock-stern tone, "So I may very well hold you to those words someday, Mister Arc."

A faint blush returning to his features, he nods his head, "Sounds good... Take care, Blake."

And waving goodbye at me, I watch Jaune turn and walk away with a smirk at his ever-present awkward social skills. Sure, I still don't feel we've exactly interacted enough to call each other 'friends', but he's alright.

Taking a long lazy stretch, I turn and make my way to the library to pick up the first book I find and take it back to my dorm to read until I fall asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Hi there! New chapter is out and I hope you liked it :) I apologize for the lack of action, but this is one of those dialogue chapters that really needed to happen! Identities have been revealed, and there _will_ be a fight after the dance... And it certainly won't be Pyrrha vs. CRDL :) Any ideas who it should be? Feel free to let me know!**

**As always, feel free to fave, follow and review, and I'll be back soon with a future update!**

**Till then, Happy Reading!**


	10. Star-Crossed Gala

**_Star-Crossed Gala_**

* * *

_Pyrrha_

Difficult to believe the day is here, but I'm so glad it has finally arrived!

I had no way of explaining what came over me on the rooftop a day or so ago when Jaune asked me to the dance; never have I experienced such a shift in my mood! It was surprising, exhilarating even, paramount to every championship from which I'd emerged victorious all in one moment! Except _this_ time, there is a chance I'd receive something I had longed for so much more than a title...

You can imagine how quickly I replied in the affirmative to my handsome leader's invitation, and after Ironwood's grand announcement in the broadcast, Jaune and I parted ways to begin our preparations.

It certainly felt rather serendipitous as I had entered my dorm later that day and reached into my section of my closet, rummaging through my belongings before pulling out the dress bag I had saved for formal occasions. Pulling out the crimson evening gown, I contemplated its shine even in the dim light of the room that had its curtains drawn and recalled my parent's story... this was the dress my mother wore the night my father declared his feelings for her directly. The night he swept her off her feet and that set off their future lives together as one.

I can't help feeling even now the overwhelming affection my father must've felt that night, my own emotions filling to the brim as I look at the dress once more. I remove my armor piece by piece, the top layer of leather and bronze coming off first before I untie my red sash around my waist and place both together to the side. Continuing downwards, I unclasp my cuisses and boots and place them in another corner of the closet. Coming back up, I reach to the hem of my copper mesh undertop and pull it over my head, careful not to let it catch on my circlet as it comes off.

Letting it drop idly to my side as I glance at myself in the full-body mirror, bare-legged and donning only my combat skirt, I still can't help a flutter of insecurity at my goal. What if Jaune doesn't return my feelings? Would he really want to be with me as more than a teammate?

I cross an arm over myself to grab the other hanging at my side, the closest I can get to feeling embraced in my moment of vulnerability, all of myself bared, and look over my features. I know many in the past had deemed me _pretty_, or _beautiful_, and even _gorgeous_, but those were words from people who had never even met me, words written by news editors who would gladly inflate the truth for ratings. What I'd give to hear those words coming from someone as caring as Jaune... for him to see me like this and whisper those sweet nothings into my ear as we traded our affections in kind...

Clearing my throat and lightly shaking those thoughts out of my mind, I glance back up in the mirror and remove my skirt as well before grabbing my dress from the cabinet. Holding it in front of myself as if offering it to the young woman in the mirror, still in disbelief that it was _I_ Jaune asked to the dance after all, I tilt my head to the side as I decide whether or not to keep the circlet on for tonight.

"I don't see why not. I wouldn't want too look like I am trying _too_ hard..."

And with that, I lift the gown over my head and let the silky dress fall over me, the smooth warm fabric imbued with trace amounts of Dust to give it its unique shimmer hugging every mountain and valley of my form. I turn to the side and straighten out any creases, my curves pronounced - but not too much - until most of the dress falls naturally and moves gracefully with my every motion. It's perfect.

Tonight will be the night. Tonight I will tell Jaune how I feel!

* * *

_Ren_

_Clang._

I close my locker after stashing Stormflower away safely when I turn to see Jaune walking in. His locker is across from mine, and as he whistles the _X-Ray and Vav_ theme song while swinging it open, I can't help but notice his mood is markedly better than it has been as of late.

"Ready for the big night?" I begin as I tighten the tie around my neck to a secure fit.

He stops whistling and turns to flash me a grin before pulling his armor and hoodie over his head and replies, "Oh yeah! First time I go to a dance with someone who _isn't_ related to me by blood, so you can sure bet I'm ready!"

I can't help a chuckle at his ease in mentioning that kind of fact about himself so freely, recalling his mention of growing up with several sisters at one point or another. Either way, I sigh contentedly as I drop my hands from their work on my necktie, satisfied to see a glimpse of the Jaune we'd met at the beginning of the year.

It was no doubt that Jaune had improved by leaps and bounds during the year, his Force mastery launching him high in the ranks of singe-bodied fighters in the academy.

But there was more to his change than just his semblance. I had noticed his fighting style develop extremely quickly, and it didn't take too long to find out Pyrrha had been training him after she had accidentally implied it in a conversation with Nora. From what Nora later told me, she didn't let up in her "detective work" until Pyrrha finally confessed. Still, from what I could tell, Jaune's style had been becoming more forceful - _aggressive_, even - and I knew that couldn't be caused by the Mistrali nor Miss Goodwitch's training sessions with him.

It was a concern that had caused me to consider confronting him about on more than one occasion, having learned that those who come into using the Force, especially the more powerful ones, are tempted by the Dark Side sooner or later. But watching him right now definitely helped assay those worries. Maybe a stronger relationship with Pyrrha is all he needs.

"I wish you the best, Jaune," I finally state with a calm smile, glad that he's not too nervous about it.

"But I'm _super_ nervous about it!" he suddenly exclaims as he begins getting undressed down to his t-shirt and shorts and pulling out his items with which to take a shower.

I furrow my brows at the unexpected statement, "What about?"

"You know, messing things up," Jaune replies with a shrug, "I'm really happy that I'm going with Pyrrha, but I'm worried I'll do something wrong."

Of all the things that could worry a talented Force-user like Jaune Arc, it has to be something like a school dance. I hold back a smile at the fact; we are still teenagers, after all.

"Just do what comes right to you," I counsel in the way my childhood instructors always taught me, "If you act like yourself, you can't get it wrong."

Jaune stops and thinks about it for a moment with his hand to his chin before glancing back at me with a grin.

"You know what? You're right, Ren," he begins before walking over to me and placing his hand on my shoulder, "It means a lot coming from you... honestly, I see you like the brother I never had!"

I smile back at him as I nod in acknowledgment, "And I, you."

He drops his hand and begins to turn away but stops, and I realize he's clearly got something left to say.

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Look, I uh... may not say this much," he continues slowly, eventually making eye contact with me once more with renewed conviction, "But I honestly would do whatever it takes to protect you guys. You know that, right?"

I falter for a moment at the question. Judging by his demeanor, I'd almost say he was conflicted about something, so I know the best I can do is simply reassure him of the facts.

"Jaune, you've done nothing but go out of your way for others at every opportunity that has presented itself for you. I believe you completely."

He smiles again, much more warmly this time, as he nods indicatively, "Thanks man, have fun tonight. I'll see you at the dance! You're... going with Nora, right?"

Raising my brows and nodding in return, I respond, "She'd never forgive me if I didn't."

Jaune laughs as he then gives me a thumbs up and turns to hit the showers. All in all, he's come a long way from initiation. We all have. I shake my head at any remaining doubts and ensure my locker is shut before I walk back to the dorm.

May Monty help us keep safe always.

* * *

_Jaune_

Oh, man.

Here we go.

I put my hands on the large double-doors to the school ballroom and push.

_Boomboomboomboomboomboomboomboomboom_...

The sounds of dance music and it's rhythmic base tracks fill my ears as I walk into the filled room, the remix of some singer's cover of Mirror Mirror, if I'm not mistaken. Can't beat Weiss' original though.

Making my way through the crowd, I see faces of students from all parts of Remnant - Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral - and scan the sea of faces for any familiar ones.

"Jaune! Hey Jaune, over here!"

I turn to see none other than Ruby standing by the punch bowl table with plastic cup in hand... and wearing a fancy dress!?

"Whaaaaa?" I begin in an exaggerated tone of disbelief as I approach her by the table and pour myself a drink.

"Veeery funny," she quips with a deadpan at me.

"Okay okay," I reply quickly, hiding my smile behind my first sip of punch, "Weiss picked it out for you?"

She looks down at her vintage sleeveless red dress with a corset-style top and black sash around her waist and sighs dejectedly, "Uh huh. And the dumb heels, too."

"Oh _c'mon_," I goad reassuringly, "You look amazing. I'm surprised you're not surrounded by guys right now!"

"Pfft!" she shoots back with a pout, "I'm too young for practically every guy in this room, and besides, I'm not really into all this Fancy-Pansy... Dancey stuff..."

I nudge her in the shoulder playfully to which she groans in mock annoyance, "You may say that _now_, but give your teenage hormones and stuff some time and I bet you'll be singing a different tune!"

She narrows her eyes and jokingly scoffs at me before punching me in the shoulder, "You meanie!"

"Just saying it how it is. Happened to all my sisters."

"_Whatever_," she retorts before sticking her tongue out at me, "You here with anyone tonight?"

I look through the room once more, letting my aura flow out a bit for good measure, and don't sense my partner's presence anywhere nearby.

"Um, not yet I guess. Seems like I'll be standing here with you holding up this wall behind us for a while."

She glares at me as I flash her my cheesy grin, then holding up my cup for a toast.

"To the socially awkward."

She chuckles at my words and clicks my drink with hers before we both take a sip and wait for a while listening to the music.

"Hey," I finally ask after a few minutes or so, "Do those DJs look like Daft Punk to you, too?"

But finally glancing at her, I realize Ruby isn't looking anywhere near their direction at all. As a matter of fact, in the complete opposite direction.

"Uh, Jaune?" she finally begins enigmatically as I try to follow her line of sight, "I _think_ she wants you to follow her."

I finally find the target in question and immediately feel my heart stop for a few beats. That... can't be healthy.

Eventually turning back to my fellow leader, I see her gazing at me with a wide grin as she gently pushes me by my shoulder in the direction of the balcony stairs, "Looks like your date has arrived~ Have fun, Jaune!"

"Wait, what? What are you-? Why is this-? Why are you smiling like that?" I finally ask coherently as Ruby takes my punch and pushes me towards said stairs and the girl who just walked up to the balcony.

"I _maaay_ have been planted at that table to make sure you knew where to go when the time was right!" she explains cheerily as we finally make it to the bottom of the steps.

I straighten out my jacket and turn to her with a nod, chiding myself for not having sensed the ploy in the first place.

"Well played, Rose."

She curtsies with a somewhat awkward wobble due to her heels but retains enough composure to reply, "Why thank you, Arc."

And leaving me by my lonesome, Ruby walks back towards the table where Weiss and Neptune are currently sitting as I turn back up to the stairs and brace myself for another mini-cardiac arrest.

Which sure enough, happens again the moment I reach the balcony.

"And this is the _second_ time I'm left breathless tonight," I begin as I approach the young lady in red leaning over the balcony side, her back-less dress facing me.

Pyrrha laughs warmly as I walk to her side and lean over the balcony rail a few inches away from her, "I'd hate for you to be sent to the nurse's office so early in the dance, Jaune."

I'm glad to see her, interestingly enough, and maybe it's me letting my guard down that lets my aura relax and start to sensitize my Force empathy to her actions. So once again, I still can't trace which one of us is really feeling the butterflies in our stomachs.

I glance sideways at her with a smirk and nod my head pointedly behind us, "Well speaking of which, you know the dance is back _there_, right?"

Chuckling as she turns to face me with a bright grin, Pyrrha smacks her lips and sighs heavily before adopting a mocking expression, "_Well_, Mister Force User, I'd have thought you'd known this would be a much _nicer_ place to talk."

I raise my brow, playing along with my partner, "Talk? What ever of?"

Turning back to lean on over the balcony rail, but this time close enough to me so that we're shoulder to shoulder, she begins as she looks over the twinkling expanse of the Valean skyline in the distance.

"Mostly to say thanks, really."

"Thanks?" I echo blankly, watching the wind flick her crimson bangs and scatter it's scent of jasmine blossoms in my direction.

"For asking me to the dance."

I fight down the growing blush within me lest she see me in that condition and try to respond as casually as possible, "Ah, I'm sure if it wasn't me, it would've been someone else!"

Exhaling sharply, her breath unceremoniously blowing her bangs upwards in a vaguely comical way that catches me by surprise, she turns to me with a matter-of-factly smirk and a raised brow.

"Actually. There wouldn't have been."

I can only gape at her in shock at the admission. Pyrrha Nikos, famed champion and celebrity student known for her grace and beauty, not asked by a _single_ other person to the dance!?

"You're pulling my leg, right?" is all I can manage to say.

She purses her lips and raises her brows indicatively as she slowly shakes her head.

"No... not one."

I scoff as I lean back over the rail and straighten out my jacket with a huff, "Then we go to a school surrounded by _idiots_."

I can sense her surprise as she leans a little further over the railing to catch my attention and to get me to turn to see her, "That may be the first time I've heard you speak ill of anyone, Jaune..."

"_Well_," I scoff abruptly again before finding the words to continue, "You're Pyrrha _friggin_ Nikos, the most down to earth girl I know! I mean, just _look_ at you," I stand back and motion to her from head to toe, "You could _literally_ teach a rose how to be pretty!"

She falters at my last comment, me in my rant not realizing what I've said until I see her blushing almost as red as her dress.

"Y-You... you really think so?" she asks mousily, one hand grabbing her other arm as she stands in front of me with her eyes glued to the floor.

This girl... this young _woman_... I've learned about her, felt her emotions, and have spent more time with her than most. And as I walk over and place one hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin, softly raising it with my thumb and index finger until her inquisitive emerald eyes meet mine, I know that I mean every word of what I'm about to say. Here's to heeding your advice, Ren.

"You know... they say 'Beauty' is the summation of the parts in a way that nothing need be added, taken away, nor altered," I remark as warmly as I can, Pyrrha definitely riveted to every word I utter, "And _you_, Pyrrha Nikos... you, are _beautiful_."

She freezes, just staring at me for a moment as our eyes remain locked until she finally makes this adorable little hiccup that precedes a crimson blush, then taking a step back and putting her hand to her mouth with watery eyes.

_That_, of course, sends me into a mini-panic. Did I _seriously_ just screw things up!?

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" I ask worriedly, my attempt to reach out to her halted by her turning her head down and away with her hand still to her mouth and the other held up to stop me. My panic starts to grow until I finally hear a small choked chuckle escaping her lips.

"Y-You're fine, Jaune," she replies slowly before turning back to me with a wide smile, her eyes still watery with emotion, "It's just that... that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Okay," I let out with a huge sigh of relief, a smile returning to me from emotions I know are my own, "Well... I mean every word of it."

Her grin never failing, she coyly lets her gaze drop to the floor as she takes a deep breath and states while letting it out, "I-I know. And that is why I was hoping you would be the one to ask me to the dance this whole time."

At this point, I can't hold back showing a fair amount of surprise as I open and close my mouth a few times without any words coming out.

It takes me a moment, but I finally put myself together enough to ask, "Really? W-Why _me?_"

She takes a step closer, no longer letting us break eye contact as she continues, "Because of everyone I've ever had the pleasure of befriending, you're really the only one who ever saw me as simply _me_. No titles, no fame... you didn't even know who I _was_ when we first met!"

"Wouldn't... that kind of thing have been more of an insult?" I ask innocently.

"Not in the slightest!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, "I've never felt as comfortable being myself, enjoying the things I enjoy and baring my heart out with anyone as much as I have with you, Jaune. You've helped me make friends that'll last a lifetime and to live my life without having to be conscious of that _pedestal_ others place me on top of at all times!"

I could only stare, dumbfounded about everything being laid out in front of me and all her feelings I'd still missed despite my abilities.

I let my gaze slowly fall to the floor, feeling like I had failed her in missing how much she had truly valued me and for leaving her, my team, and this academy so often and without any problems for something as _selfish_ as my own extra training in Vale with Roman.

"I... had no idea you felt that way, Pyrrha... I'm so sorry."

I was almost beginning to turn away, no longer worthy of being in the presence of someone who cared so much when I hadn't when I was stopped by her making her way over and embracing me tightly, her head buried in my chest.

"Don't be sorry, Jaune. The important thing is that you know _now_... And..."

She grips me just a little harder and pauses, causing me to turn my head down to her head still held to my chest as I ask, "And what, Pyr?"

All she does after another moment is inhale deeply and let out a heavy groan into my jacket, mumbling something that sounds like, "_I an't say't..._"

I chuckle a little at the slight tickle the humming from her mumbling causes as it reverberates across my chest, so I merely take her by the shoulders and gently push her back, giving my apparently flustered partner a warm smile as I speak up.

"Well, how 'bout we get back to the dance and I'll take you out for a song or two until you figure out what you wanna tell me."

She merely blinks at me a few times, seemingly processing my request before breaking out a small smile of her own, "That... would be _grand_. Let's!"

So taking her by the hand, I take us back into the ballroom and hope for a song that would maybe lessen the tension I could sense within her that I'd noticed through my Force Empathy enough for her to tell me what was on her mind.

"Darn, just missed a good song!" I mumble as I hear the end of a great track that I'm sure all of team JNPR could've done an awesome line dance to.

"Wait," she suddenly remarks as the DJs start the next track and she lightly squeezes my hand to get my attention, "I absolutely _adore_ this song coming up right now!"

I listen to the intro and immediately recognize the track: _Digital Love_...

_Of course_ by Daft Punk.

I turn back to her with a wide grin, "Then let's dance!"

"But Jaune, you can- gahhh!?" she begins auestioningly but gets cut of as I pull her in for a spin and catch her in a dip as the beat and lyrics of the song steps in, her face absolutely brightening up with an awed grin as I pull her back up and we begin to dance.

_Last night, I had a dream about yo-u  
In this dream I'm dan-cing right be-side yo-u  
And it looked like every-one was ha-ving fun  
the kind of feel-ing I've waited so lo-ong_

I catch her from another effortless spin, Pyrrha by now yelping joyfully as I pull us back and forth with the rhythm of the song.

"Jaune, I had no idea you could dance!" she finally exclaims with mirth.

I try to shrug it off as casually as I can, "Yeah well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters."

And with a mother backstep and twirl, I pull us into a close spin, our bodies close as the song starts winding down to a close.

_Oh, I don't knooow what to do  
About this dream aand you  
I wish this dream comes tru-ue_

"Jaune, there's something more I wanted to tell you," Phrrha begins as she has both arms up around my neck and I have mine around her waist, slowdancing the last chorus of the track.

"Sure, what's on your mind, Pyr?"

"I..." she takes a sharp breath and I sense her finally jumping her final internal hurdle through the Force, "I wanted you to know how much I care about you."

I'm not so sure why it would've been too difficult for her to say that, but it's a sweet gesture. It's a flattering compliment really, so I just shoot back a sheepish smile, "Aw thanks, Pyr! We're partners, after all."

"N-No," she presses on unexpectedly, catching me off guard as she lightly chuckles and clarifies, "I mean as more than partners, Jaune..."

I raise a brow and think it over for a second, faintly shrugging as I nod, "Of course, we're friends too and that's what friends are for!"

Surprisingly, she dips her head in exasperation as I realize she's fighting back a growing blush, whatever it is that's still in her system still struggling to get out. And just as the outro begins, she calmly lifts her head with a warm and determined smile.

"No Jaune... I mean as _more_ than friends."

...Oh.

...

_OHHH_.

"W-Wait, what? Really?" I sputter, almost stopping completely as I reel back from what she just implied.

"Yes," she now replies with more conviction than I'd ever seen in her before, "And if there's anyone who can validate what I feel right now... it's _you_, Jaune Arc."

She pulls herself just a little closer to me, faintly nodding as if giving me permission to sense her feelings. So closing my eyes, I lightly lift my hand and place it on the side of her head, my thumb lightly brushing back a lock of her crimson bangs when it all hits me at once.

The intrigue when we met, the ease and familiarity of constant companionship as we got to know each other that slowly became confusion and doubt as the emotions became more complicated. And like a roller-coaster reaching the peak of its first climb and careening downwards, I felt the sudden onslaught of aches and thrills, sorrow and euphoria as insecurity and compassion ebbed and flowed between us through our relationship, my heartbeat quickening as all of it boiled down to one emotion.

One solitary, all-powerful emotion.

I gasp as I pull out from the most intensive act of Force Empathy I've executed to date, my eyes widening and even watering up as I glance back at my partner's expectant expression.

"Am I... _possibly_... anywhere _near_ worthy of that kind of emotion from you?" I pant softly.

It's surreal... _impossible_, even... that a world-renowned star like Pyrrha could have these kinds of feelings for me... but like we both admitted... things like that didn't matter between us. They never had.

"Yes," she replies, her face practically glowing with mirth as she finally lets it out, "By leaps and bounds, _yes_, Jaune."

"I... I can't believe it," I reply softly, feeling light-headed as if it were all some kind of dream. I now know during all this time that her feelings had been seeping through to me, trying to convince me of their existence, but now I realize that maybe it was also my own feelings growing within me this whole time too.

I guess I didn't know what I was beginning to feel until it was dancing right in front of me.

"Then I'll tell you what," she continues with a small smirk as the music begins to fade, "I'll make you a deal right now. If you go through with it, I can guarantee you that you'll have no further doubt of my feelings for you and of my hope that you return them as well."

I tilt my head to the side, "Alright, shoot."

Her arms tighten ever so slightly above my shoulders as her captivating emerald eyes lock with mine.

"I'd very much like to kiss you right now, Jaune Arc."

I hesitate, but slowly lean my head forward, letting a small smirk of my own grow on my lips before I whisper my reply.

"Deal."

* * *

It had come to no surprise to a certain Nora Valkyrie when Jaune had come down from the balcony leading Pyrrha by the hand to the dance floor. Neither had it come to any surprise when their blonde and blue-eyed leader had shown an exceptional skill on the floor as well.

But what had her literally overflowing with energy and anticipation was the look she'd never expected the two to trade, the kind of look that two people only shared when they had the innermost access to each other's desires and emotions and when that said desire and emotion was about to play out right then and there. So it _should've_ come to no surprise to the stoic student standing right beside her when she frantically began pulling at his sleeve, practically swelling with her boundless energy within.

"Ren! This... is... _happening!_"

"Wait, _what_ is happening?" he asked quizzically before the sudden outburst of cheers, whistles and shutters of scroll photography brought his attention to the center of the dance floor, "Oh."

...

"_OHHH_."

Ren gawked and Nora clapped as they, along with the rest of the student body, watched a now motionless Arkos couple in the center of the dance floor, sharing their first kiss.

* * *

Ruby watched from her table, applauding the couple and herself for having helped set the evening in motion, before getting up and making her way through the slowly calming crowd towards the punch table to pour herself another drink.

She sighed in satisfaction, wondering what kind of house they would buy together after graduating and how many kids they'd have as she poured herself some punch and turned back.

However, her fantasies about the Arkos couple's future and the best name for their firstborn child - which would without a doubt be none other than _Monty_ \- came to a halt when she crossed an open doorway to the ballroom and caught sight of the lithe figure in a catsuit making their way across the roofs of the Academy campus.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

**A/N: Hi there, me again! So after finally going about executing my foolproof solution of overcoming writer's block - starting a completely unrelated fic about Blake gaining Gamer abilities in a brand new story called _The Gamer Girl_ \- I've gotten my creative juices flowing enough to get me out of the lull that was chapter 9 of this fic. I knew what I wanted to do, but was having the toughest time figuring out how to do it until today!**

**So I've also decided to break this chapter into parts so I don't keep any of you awesome readers waiting another day! :) That being said, there's clearly the elephant in the room that needs pointing out. Yes, the Arkos thing is actually happening. But do not worry, I made _no_ mistakes in the main pairing I've put in the description of this fic, I only ask for you to be patient.**

**I love Arkos and I do not intend to leave the ship any time soon... But this is _not_ an Arkos fic.**

**After all, nobody walks away from Spider-Man just because he doesn't date Mary Jane Watson instead of Gwen ****Stacy from the get-go, right? ;) So stay tuned and don't forget to Fave, Follow and Review, for this roller coaster is just getting started! Till next time!**

**And Happy Reading!**


	11. Shadows

**_Shadows_**

* * *

The lone assailant slipped through the shadows, landing in front of the CCT before stealthily approaching an armed guard from behind. Lifting her arm, she then knife-handed him on the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious before dragging him behind some bushes.

Making her way into the building, her hourglass figure only pronounced in her catsuit, the two guards stood stunned for a moment before one held up a hand at her in warning.

"Excuse me, no one's allowed in this area," he began, but immediately continued as Cinder maintained her bearing, "_Stop!_"

The soldier opened fire when she did not comply, but didn't stand a chance as she evaded the bullets and overpowered him, using his gun to take out the second approaching soldier. Throwing the first one back against a handrail, Cinder flash-forged a pair of black blades from fire Dust and trounced two more soldiers rushing her with batons.

Her work done, she now stood in front of the elevator that already seemed to be approaching ground level, raising a brow as she began to hear voices within.

"Hey man, do you know the Wi-Fi password?"

"It's Beacon, but replace the E with a 3 and add a pound symbol to the end."

The elevator door opened to show the two guards inside pause their conversation, one of them noticing the fallen men outside before Cinder casually walked in with a smirk. The apprehension growing within, Cinder turned around as the doors closed, and by the time the elevator reached the desired floor, both guards lay on the floor in unconscious heaps.

"Oh! That's handy," the enchantress remarked idly as she examined a scroll from one of the fallen guards before the elevator came to a stop with a _ding_.

However, when the door opened, the raven-haired intruder stopped short at the sight of the armed blonde knight waiting in the middle of the console room for her, his head lowered and hair obscuring his eyes.

* * *

_Jaune_

"Fancy meeting_ you _here," I begin, sensing the momentary shock within her already fading away.

It's almost funny, really, thinking that they would make a move without telling me, as if I wouldn't be able to sense it anyway. And especially a move spearheaded by the famous - or infamous, depending on how you look at it - _Cinder Fall. _It didn't take long after my dance with Pyrrha to sense her, the Dust she's infused with gives her a rather unique Force signature despite her not being a user, and as much as I hated it, I had to take leave of the dance and pick up my sword on my way over to the CCT.

"And so we finally get to meet, Mister Arc," the enchantress hums with a sultry voice that almost immediately rivets my full attention on her, "You're even more intriguing in person - already surpassing my expectations~"

I have to blink a few times to shake it off: a strong - no, _unnatural_ \- sense of attraction to her... her obsidian hair, striking fiery eyes, and hypnotic figure almost getting me to lower my guard as she approaches slowly until I figure out her secret.

Pheromone Dust. Those guards downstairs never stood a chance.

"I'm already aware of the little ace up your sleeve you're carrying around," I warn firmly as I line Crocea Mors at level with her neck, a small smirk on her face surprising me as she stops in place, "You've been using Dust to charm your way up here."

"Oh?" she drawls with a small grin, "Are you sure it's not the case that you simply like what you see?~"

"Don't test me, Fall."

Humming in satisfaction, the enchantress holds her hands up placatingly, taking a step back with the same small grin before replying, "Definitely impressive. Roman chose wisely with you... How exactly did you manage to get up here without alerting anyone, may I ask?"

A sudden sound like knocking at the elevator door suddenly catches her attention, causing her to turn quickly to the source as she flash-forges her twin sabres in each hand. However, raising a brow upon noticing that no one is behind her, she turns back to face me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little smug at my own trick.

"_That's_ how," I begin smoothly as I maintain my sword drawn at her, "A very nifty form of Force Confusion, which seems to have helped me hit two birds with one stone - I now know what weapons you're using. It only took a quick mind trick on the guards posted up here that I sent down the elevator."

She seems to be about to say something when I notice her eyes jerk to the side, squinting a bit as I realize she's listening to something in her ear.

Cinder sighs, unexpectedly rolling her eyes before glancing at me and pointing at her ear, "Which one?"

Straining my senses, I try and catch what's being said in her hidden communicator, but to no avail. I haven't had enough training in honing my senses with The Force, and being that I don't really seem to have a predisposition to sense-specific abilities, it's unlikely I'll ever become more sensitive to these things than maybe a Faunus. Still, I'm able to catch the last bit as Cinder walks over to a console and sticks in a mini-drive.

'_Should we intervene?_'

"No... we're done here," she states slowly with an almost uninterested tone at the conversation at hand before reaching up to her ear and ending the communication.

I notice lines of code appear on every screen in the room before being replaced with the image of a queen chess piece... strange, but I doubt I'll get much of an explanation from her. Still, it's worth a shot.

"A Queen? That's thinking a little highly of yourself, don't you think?"

Almost taken aback at my back-handed comment, I merely see her smirk widen, her eyes lighting up a bit as if they were aflame as she responds, "And bold as well~ You know, Young Arc, that men have died for much smaller a transgression than yours?"

I scoff as I grip the hilt tighter, ready for a fight, "I don't see a funeral in my future anytime soon."

"Careful~" she continues with a subtle hint of warning, casting a glance at her raised hand next to her in which a small ball of flame appears, "Remember, you work for Roman and Roman works for _me_, so let's not get confused as to who will decide your future after I'm ruler of this kingdom..."

Ruler? Queen... Kingdom?

All of a sudden, her plan becomes clear in my head. Somehow, this operation is supposed to help her gain power over Vale using the White Fang as support, turning the kingdom into some kind of monarchy? ...A _monarchy? _And just as suddenly, her plan now feels terribly... _hilariously_... _small_.

The change Roman was always talking about bringing was at a _global_ scale... It only takes me a second to realize that this woman is merely a means to an end, ultimately nothing but a pawn in Roman's hands to align the world to his point of view... but how? _How?_

I don't get a chance to think about it much longer as several things happen simultaneously in the next second. First, I hear the elevator running - and not by my choice - and second, a blaring sense of warning through my Force instincts emanating from the seemingly startled Cinder who's also turned to the elevator. And now turning back to face me, I notice she's sporting a smug grin as she speaks up.

"Yes... definitely impressive. But I'm afraid, still terribly naïve..."

Realizing she's talking about me, I cock my head to the side before I realize something's beneath me. The moment I look down, I notice there's a rather large fire glyph spinning on the floor under me, my impending scowl deepening as Cinder concludes.

"Nothing personal. In fact, you should consider this a favor - my thanks for not getting in my way~"

And as the elevator reaches our floor with a _ding_, the glyph goes off.

_SHOOOM!_

Barely dodging the pillar of flame that rises from the glyph beneath me like a budding fire-flower, the blast augments my back-flip out of control and sends me flying into a few consoles at the edge of the room. In and out of consciousness, I could barely register the awkward shuffling of heels as a third person entered the room.

"Hello? Is anyone there? ...Hello?"

My heart sinks as I realize who it is. Ruby.

Trying to regain full control of my body, I sense myself beginning to panic as I hear a second pair of heels approaching her, and much more fluid by the sound of it. Cinder...

"Excuse me? You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that-!"

What follows is what Pyrrha might describe as a cacophony of Dust attacks whistling through the air, the fight suddenly ending as quickly as it began.

I see a streak of black course across my field of vision, realizing it's Cinder leaping out an opened window after shooting me a wink as Ruby speaks up at a new unidentified person.

"General Ironwood!"

Oh thank Dust.

"...Did you do all of this?" I hear him ask before I register Ruby explaining the situation at a hundred miles per hour. At least... it _feels_ that way, because my head starts swimming and I'm starting to think a nap would be a great idea right about now...

"A-And then she disappeared! I'm pretty sure she must've gone out this wa- Wait a sec... _Jaune!?_"

* * *

_Roman_

"He did _what!?_"

'_I'm sorry, but I'm quite certain I didn't stutter,'_ Cinder's voice comes through the communicator matter-of-factly, at which in an admittedly heated lapse of judgment, I fire a round from Melodic Cudgel into a nearby car, turning it into an inferno which I'd say pretty much reflects my state of mind at the moment.

"_Hey!_" I hear the owner of the car yell as he keeps his date held back from the blooming flames.

"_SHUT UP!_"

I then turn my attention back to the communicator as I turn the corner of the Vale city block.

"Did he get in the way of the operation?"

'_No~_' the voice continues smoothly, in much the same way a Siren of old would do before pulling your guts out, '_He actually helped, in a way. I was almost certain that I'd have to terminate the two guards posted in the console chamber to eliminate any possible witness of what was done up there, but he sent them away instead with one of those Force tricks, as you call them..._'

I can't help but grip my cane a little harder as I growl in response, "_Sentiment_... should've known better. I underestimated him. Any other complications?"

'_Aside from the appearance of General Ironwood, none at all. I had already been warned of his approach well before the deed was done. Besides, as I told Mercury - they'll be scratching their heads long after we've finished what we're here for~_'

"_Heh_," I chuckle knowingly, "Ironwood isn't a concern. The only real problem here is the kid somehow having figured out your plan before you even had it in motion."

'_Oh... judging by what my associates tell me, he'll be a problem alright~_'

At that, I stop in my tracks on the sidewalk, my brows immediately furrowing at the tinge of scandal in her voice.

"What're you talking about."

'_Emerald tells me that he's finally passed first base with his partner, The Invincible Girl. I'm sure it was a wonderful moment as they shared their first kiss on the ballroom floor~_'

You've _got_ to be kidding me. Don't get me wrong, the Dark Side requires a pretty strong connection to your emotions, but this? _This?_ It's a _distraction_, and I'd be damned to Remnant's Hell if it wasn't already eating into his resolve and loyalty to my cause! I can't have that. This must be handled as quickly as possible. No matter the cost.

"Y'know what? I'll get back to you on that. I'm about to hit some traffic."

Ending the conversation, I begin walking as a small fleet of Vale's police force attempts to corner me on the sidewalk with a barricade of a dozen squad cars. Idiots.

No more holding back.

_Eeeee-CRASH!_

Four... or eight, I'm not really paying attention... squad cars go hurdling into the nearby building, flames erupting all over the dimly-lit street. Heh, not just dimly lit anymore.

"S-Stop right there!"

"We _will_ fire!"

Hmm... police officers behind me. Three behind, seven more surrounding, and two injured near the demolished building. Can't have any survivors, can we?

I turn with my hands up - and cane raised - my darnedest attempt at theatrical frustration coming to the fore with my reply, "_Darn!_ You _got_ me!"

I'll admit, it's getting harder to hold back a smirk as I hear some of them whispering around me things like _Freak_ and _What is he_, but like a good actor, I stay in character as the captain of the graveyard shift squad slowly approaches me. Hah! _Graveyard_ shift, it's almost poetic...

"A-All right, no funny business. Just do as I say... and drop, the cane."

Ohh... this is rich.

He flinches - a fatal mistake - as I raise my brow and crack a wide grin, "Very poor choice of words..."

_SHOOOOOM!_

With a quick twirl, I slam Melodic Cudgel onto the ground, unleashing a Force Blast that vaporizes any organic matter at street level within a street block radius. Well... _vaporizes_ is putting it lightly... a more accurate description would likely require supervision by a parent or guardian to hear.

Whistling the theme song to my favorite web series, _Red vs. Blue_, I twirl my cane around and onto my shoulder as I turn and walk away from the fiery hell-hole, turning the corner as a nearby clock tower strikes midnight before reaching up to my earpiece and dialing my surely expectant Master.

"Good _evening_, General!" I quip cheerily into the earpiece, "_Quite_ the event tonight, wasn't it?"

'_The disturbance in the Force just now, that was you._'

"Couldn't be helped," I reply without missing a beat, admittedly lying through my teeth, "There were witnesses to my escape from your airborne prison that needed taking care of."

A slight pause.

'_Very well,_' he continues to my relief, '_It seems there was an altercation at the CCT, Cinder met two resilient students by the looks of it._'

"_Two?_" I retort off-guard, "Wait, you were _there?_"

That's not good.

'_You seem surprised. Of course I would be there. I made my way over after sensing her presence; after all, her operation tonight was indispensable to our plans - I wanted to ensure it had been successful._'

"Well, yeah. Of course. And those two students managed to fend her away without a scratch?"

'Not quite,' he replied pensively, recalling the incident most likely, 'She only left upon my arrival; otherwise, she doubtlessly would've dispatched them since they were witnesses. The young lady engaging her the moment of my entry was a rather brilliant student; accepted a year early into the Academy and highly recommended by the Headmaster there.'

"And the other?" I can't help but ask, needing to know if he'd become suspicious.

'_The other one... well... it was difficult to tell. He was unconscious by the time we found him, surely incapacitated by one of Cinder's attacks. And aside from a particularly large aura - which leads me to believe he must be an Arc - there didn't seem to be anything else outstanding about the young man_.'

_Dust_ that kid has gotten really good at masking his presence in the Force! I let out as silent a sigh of relief I can muster, unwilling to have my plans unravel so early as I reply, "Those little punks will never realize just how lucky they were, that's for sure."

'_Indeed._'

Now to put the final nail in the coffin.

"Well then, my Master, that leaves us but one thing," I begin flatly as I reach a secret extraction point at the roof of a nearby empty parking garage, dialing in a White Fang transport, "I know it's a little soon, but with the added resistance at Beacon and growing number of witnesses and investigations, I suggest we move forward with the final phase of Operation Breach."

'_Without Cinder's authorization?_'

"I'm sure she'll understand," I reply a tad impatiently as I hear a WF stealth transport coming over the horizon, "Besides, all the pieces are already in place on your side - now is the best time to act."

A stagnant pause follows as the transport makes it over the parking lot, the Raven-class Bullhead dropping down with little more than the sound of a light breeze before he finally declares, '_Then let it be done. I expect maximum casualties and losses within the week - the world will need quite a show to rally to my cause. Do not fail me, my Apprentice..._'

I hop on the transport with a humorless smirk on my face, sighing as the lift takes off, "Have I ever?"

The call ends without another word, the faux smirk on my face turning to a grimace as I catch a distant sight of Beacon's pale green tower across the edge of Vale.

You _will_ pledge loyalty to me above all else, Arc... Even if I must destroy everyone you hold dear to do it.

* * *

_Yang_

Okay, so I'm just gonna say it now - yesterday's dance was a total, undeniable, _success_.

Just putting that out there.

Blake made it, Weiss actually had a conversation with a guy, and Jaune has finally hit puberty!~ Yeah, I'll have to say that the only kink during last night would have to be what Ruby ended up telling us was a break-in at the CCT that she - and apparently Jaune, weirdly enough - interrupted, but seeing that the two of them came out of it without a scratch... well, Ruby, at least... I'll just put it down as a win!

But at least Jaune's okay. Some minor burns that his aura healed as soon as he woke up after a brief visit to the infirmary, from what I'm told, and now he's as good as new. Ruby was called to Ozpin's office earlier, she fed Oz, Goodwitch and even Ironwood some info about the location of the White Fang base we've suspected, and now we're all set to take on the day!

Which is weird... cuz apparently Ozpin told Ruby today would be a big day, but we've only got one class scheduled for today...

But it's my _favorite_ \- Combat Sparring with Glynda Goodwitch as the Prof!

Anyway, enough about everyone else. Let's keep talking about me for a second.

I'm a girl of simple tastes - hair care, bullets, and beat downs - so when I say the only thing I love more than beating down some baddies is _watching_ the most epic fight of the year play out in front of me, you know that's saying something! So you can imagine my growing excitement as me and the rest of my team sit at the amphitheater bleachers when Miss Goodwitch calls down _Jaune_ for the first match!

But that's not all. It seems not only our first-year class, but _all_ of the visiting students from the main Huntsmen academies around Remnant from all four years are here too! Can't wait to find out who his opponent will be~

"Now, being that this multi-year class period occurs only once a year," Glynda now continues into a mic as he looks down at her tablet, "It seems rather fitting that this challenge be taken into account for Mister Arc's consideration..."

"Wait, what's she talking about?" Ruby asks me curiously from beside me, to which I can only shrug in reply.

"A challenge?" I hear him question in the arena.

"Why yes," Glynda continues with what I bet could be a small smirk, even if I can't see it clearly from this distance, "You've been called to the arena in a challenge from one of our second-year students: Yatsuhashi Daichi. His team just returned earlier today from an unexpected delay in a mission assignment, but their team leader reports they are fully rested and ready for combat. Here he is now."

As the broadsword wielding hulk of a dude strides into the arena, I can't help but hear the growing murmurs of surprise and awe from the audience before the kid that passes Jaune by more than a head speaks up.

"White Knight, I have come to hear of your reputation as a rising swordsman and your unique semblance among the ranks of Beacon's finest, and I would be honored if you were to accept this challenge."

"Wait," Weiss suddenly begins in realization from Ruby's other side on the bleachers, "Yatsuhashi Daichi. He's the Beacon swordsman who is rumored never to have lost a match! He was chalked up to be the main contender against Pyrrha in last year's Mistral Regional Tournament, but it's said he had to drop out for personal reasons..."

"So you're saying he's _that_ good?" Ruby asks with some obvious disbelief, but I'm sure it's mostly at the fact that Weiss is actually speaking so highly of anyone. Especially another swordsman.

But I decide to pay closer attention to my classmate in the arena as he narrows his eyes at his challenger, apparently catching onto something that no one else has gotten yet.

"I sense that there's more to it, isn't there."

At that, I'm not surprised to see the samurai giant bust out a small grin, "And the rumors of your uncanny powers of perception are true as well. But yes, White Knight, as a future Hunter who is taught to enter conflict with the most trusted of allies, I wish this not to be merely a duel... but a challenge of _pairs_."

The murmurs continue to get louder among the arena as Glynda looks around and then sets her sights on Jaune, "Do you accept the challenge, Mister Arc?"

"And Ozpin approves?" Jaune asks with a sly smirk, "I mean, they've got a whole year of combat experience over us... I might not be able to afford to hold back anymore."

And to our surprise, the Headmaster himself - who normally doesn't even come to these sparring matches - walks onto the amphitheater platform, nodding to his right-hand woman before she lets him take the mic to answer, "Of course. It is now up to you to take the next step."

Jaune then turns to the stands in our general direction, "Well, if my partner-"

"Agrees," Pyrrha suddenly finishes for him, having already made her way down to the arena and surprising her partner by being at his side so soon, "And she does."

I hear Jaune chuckle as he turns back to the Professors on the platform, "Heh, then I guess you have your answer."

"Very well," Ozpin continues, turning to the challenger as Velvet appears at his side, "Then the match may begin."

And stepping away from the platform, the suspense rises in the arena as Ozpin and Glynda are now out of sight and the four contenders drop into combat stances.

Now, I'm not gonna lie. The first time I saw Velvet, I was almost sure she was the timid type - you know, the withdrawn personality, stutter and everything - well... I was apparently dead wrong. Turns out, she can really hold her own, but she just chooses to remain a pacifist when it comes to all people Faunus or human - even if they pick on her.

Of course, the pacifist bit gets kicked out the window as soon as the words _sparring_ and _competition_ are placed on the table. Something she shows now as she makes the first move, her eyes blazing an unnatural hazel as she places a hand on Yats' shoulder.

"_Es ist groB. __Es ist klein! __Vox Gott Es Atlas!_"

And just like that, I see thin wires of white light spread across both students' bodies and into Yats' weapon before they fade away.

"A reinforcement incantation done so easily," I hear Weiss say slowly, "I've never seen anything quite like it..."

"What a _velvety_ observation coming from you, Ice Princess~" I can't help quipping at the heiress, earning a combined deadpan stare from my team. Honestly, that was _golden!_ I never catch a break with these girls...

And with a yell, the giant samurai leaps at Jaune while Pyrrha advances at Velvet in a dash.

* * *

_Pyrrha_

A Mage. Of course.

I hadn't thought of the possibility, but I had heard in Mistral that there were a few clans of Faunus in Menagerie who had dedicated their use of aura, not to developing a semblance, but into developing mastery over the elements and aura-based incantations. An impressive feat that would prove too cumbersome for most normal human's auras, only Faunus were ever known to become fully-fledged Magus.

I ready Miló in spear form as I engage her, thrusting and slashing only to find that the nimble rabbit-faunus is incredibly agile, dodging and evading every attack with ease. Quickly forcing her back with an upward swing of Akoúo, I take advantage of the split-second that the shield covers me to shift my spear into firearm form, coming up under my shield to pelt her with a volley of gunfire.

Despite their being non-lethal rounds, the bullets make contact, denting her armor and piercing her gear faster than she can dodge making Velvet the first of us to have any amount of aura depleted.

But tumbling back with several admittedly flawless handsprings to put some space between us, I see her land wide-eyed at my successful attack. And then I see it.

The wooden box with the heart-shaped lock which hasn't been opened within Beacon all year.

And to my surprise - and unfortunately, chagrin - she deftly opens the box pulls out the one thing that I in all my arsenal of techniques have little defense against: a jewel.

Topaz, to be exact. A wind-affinity stone that she quickly points at me with a one-step command.

"Drohnen!"

_SSSSSSS-kratkratkratkratKRAT!_

And breaking apart into several pieces with a loud hiss, the fragments spin and dissolve into a multitude of bolt-like spears of energy that now fly through the air towards me with the speedy cracks of thunder-like ferocity. I try and dodge as many as I can, but realize they are changing directions and honing in at me at high speeds.

"Hep! Hah! Hiyah!"

I slash and parry at them with Miló in spear form, finally putting out the last one with a split-second deflection from my shield. But no sooner do I recover when I'm suddenly kicked back towards Jaune by an unexpectedly powerful drop kick from the girl on Akoúo.

* * *

_Jaune_

Ack! This guy's sword hits like a sledgehammer! And- OOF!

"P-Pyrrha!?"

I turn back as I realize my partner back to back with me, countering a downwards slash from Yatsuhashi with a simultaneous Force Push to launch him back several feet with the riposte.

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize," I hedge as I keep an eye on the big guy who's already standing and charging me again, "Don't tell me Velv's giving you a hard time?"

I'm somewhat concerned that instead of hearing an immediate response, I only hear a duet of grunts and muffled growls behind me, the two girls apparently in hand-to-hand combat. Wait... Velvet?... in _close combat?_

"I'm afraid so!" Pyrrha grunts aloud at me, directing herself at Velvet from what I can figure next, "It's quite rare for a mage to also have such skill in physical combat as well, you're abilities are certainly formidable!"

I'd turn to see what was going on, but Yats keeps me busy with an unexpectedly quick barrage of sword strikes that I can't seem to get out of by my sword skills alone - another Force Push is necessary to send him reeling back. But I'm starting to get a bad feeling about things as I realize he's not falling as far back as I'd anticipated.

However, that bad feeling gets much worse as I turn around and see something I thought I'd never see... Pyrrha going down in close combat.

Two failed slashes from Miló, and Velvet grabs the edges of Pyr's shield to flip over her and put her to the floor into an awkward kneel with a massive downward kick on her shoulder. The entire audience goes dead silent as they watch The Invincible Girl take her first public hit along with me.

The velveteen rabbit nods once with a slight pant before holding up a ruby in her hand to deliver the final blow, "Thank you. Kick-boxing and Kenpo, mostly."

"_EeeYAH!_"

I don't even realize what I've done until Velvet has been yanked toward me and sent into the far arena wall with a Force Pull and Push combo, Pyrrha staggering upright and staring at me wide-eyed.

"Jaune!"

"I-I'm sorr-"

"Look out!" she suddenly yells at me instead, pulling me back as I notice a particularly red glow growing behind us.

"_Zerstoren!_"

For a split second, I'm pretty sure I see the same ruby held in Velvet's hand before it sparks into a ray of red energy that flies at us like a bullet. With just a moment to dodge, Pyrrha and I leap out of the way as the attack lands and melts the spot we were standing in a sizeable fireball, leaving behind semi-molten rock and a rising blue haze between us and her.

"Uhh... what if that attack would've _hit_ us?" I muse aloud before I notice Pyrrha ready Miló in spear form.

"Our aura would've redirected the energy to absorb the blow. But they each would've gone to the red - immediately disqualifying us," she replies flatly before hefting the spear up like a javelin and launching it through the haze at the girl.

I could sense the Faunus girl's surprise through the Force before Yats suddenly appeared with surprisingly swift speed and deflected the spear with his blade.

The blue haze dissipates as me and Phrrha step through it with myself at the fore, a small smirk on my face as I notice Velvet falter and fall, Yats whispering something to her before beginning another charge at me with a battle cry.

Heh, _nope_.

_Eeeeeeeeeeeee_...

The armor on him strains and creaks as I hold out a hand and launch a Force Push... but to my surprise, he doesn't fall back.

"Jaune, he's figured out your aurakinesis!" Pyrrha calls out from behind me as he drops his shoulders and still manages to struggle towards us against my Force Push like against a strong wind, wisps of his surprisingly grey aura coming off of him in wisps, "His semblance must somehow be permitting him to resist your Force attacks using his aura!"

That must be some _serious_ aura control if he can do that... But I can't help but chuckle as a scene from the docks last semester flows through my mind.

"_Okay_..." I begin as I sheath Crocea Mors at my hilt and shake off my hand to loosen it up, both hands now beginning to light up with pale white aura, "Let's see him resist _this!_"

_ZZZzztzzttzzRAK!_

Two tendrils of electricity course out of my hands and hit Yatsuhashi full force, the large samurai growling in pain as I sense Pyrrha taking her scroll out behind me.

"Jaune, it's working!" she states as she checks his aura level, "But please do it quickly - I don't doubt it's a highly painful attack!"

I know. Oh _boy_ do I know...

Hehe...

"Jaune- Jaune look out!" she suddenly cries out, my Force senses suddenly picking up danger coming... from above?

"Whoa!" I cry out as I dodge a double-bladed strike from an auburn-toned fox-faunus above me, Pyrrha being engaged by none other than their team leader herself: Coco Adel.

"_Mold-veðr!_"

Aw, crap.

My instincts sense the attack coming as soon as Velvet makes the command, my first reaction being to leap up high with a Force Jump as a quake literally tears apart the area of the arena immediately below me. In midair, I glance at Ozpin and Glynda in the stands to see her about to protest the unexpected entry of the remainder of team CFVY... until Ozpin holds her back with a small smirk.

You've gotta be kidding me! He knew they might do this the whole time!? Ohoho... the little-

"Grk!"

I grunt as I'm suddenly knocked out of the air by a swift kick from Fox, landing on the ground as Yats and Fox rush me while Velvet joins Coco's physical assault on Pyrrha. I can sense Ren and Nora's desire to join the match as well; I quickly turn to them as I stand and shake my head, Ren catching my gesture from the stands and holding Nora back as Yats speaks up in front of me.

"You truly do live up to your reputation, White Knight," he begins with a genuine tone of respect, "Though I do apologize for my teams unexpected entry, I can tell you wish to continue the fight with only your partner."

"Pfft, _I_ sure don't apologize," Fox mentions snarkily from the side as he brandishes both blades in his hands.

"Yeah, Pyr and I can take you guys just fine."

Agh, I might as well play along with this stupid test Ozpin's making me take. At least it beats the lame Force lessons every week from Goodwitch.

But I really need to join Pyrrha ASAP... it's the only way neither of us comes out disqualified from this. So, I do the one thing that neither sword-wielded expects me to do at the moment.

Charge like a madman.

"Yaaaaah!" I yell before launching Fox away with a Force Push, quickly ducking and turning at the same time under a lethal swipe from Yats' broadsword before coming up and blasting him back with another two-handed Force Lightning attack from under him.

No disqualification announcement? Dang, that samurai kid must have some pretty decent aura reserves on him, too...

But I waste no time in getting to my partner, shouting just as Coco drops her purse into a... oh you gotta be _kidding_ me... _a Minigun!?_

_RATATATATATATATAT_...

At a hundred rounds a second, I'm pretty sure about three hundred bullets stop in midair between the four of us before Coco stops firing, cocking her head to the side and pulling her glasses down a bit with one finger before remarking, "Well _that's_ different."

"Pyrrha, listen to me," I whisper quickly to her as she catches her breath at the imposing half-dome of bullets I promptly let fall in front of us, "I gotta keep Velvet busy enough to use the rest of her jewels - we won't be able to last much longer against two long-range attackers like them. Use your polarity to hold off Coco. If anyone asks, just say I used the Force."

Her face quickly goes from alarm at the mention to her semblance to confusion, to thought, and then to grinning realization.

"Jaune, you're a _genius_."

Giving me a quick peck on the lips, causing me - and certainly everyone else in the arena if my Force senses are correct - a fair amount of stunned surprise, she breaks away as Coco opens fire once more, not a single bullet hitting its target as her semblance does the blocking work for her.

Setting my sights on Velvet, I approach her only to be beset by Fox, Yatsuhashi likely staying back with his low reserves in mind.

"Drohnen!"

_SSSSSSS-kratkratkratkratKRAT!_

...Seriously?

Now, I'm forced to use Crocea Mors once more as Pyrrha now engages Coco with painful-looking hits from Miló and Akoúo, dual-wielding my sword and collapsed shield against Fox's intermittent attacks between Velvet's multi-shot gem spell. Finally gaining the upper hand, I knock the faunus-boy back with a powerful slash from my blade and send out a Lightning attack to where I was sure Velvet was standing a second ago... only to see she's been carried away by a battered Coco in a brisk sprint towards where her team was waiting.

As Pyrrha comes up behind me, a very strong sense of danger comes over me as I see the four students drop into some kind of formation.

"Uhh... that doesn't look good..."

Fox kneels down on both knees first, holding both blades up over his head like a closed triangle on which Velvet pulls out a small glowing Amethyst jewel that remains floating in midair. Holding Coco's minigun with her, Velvet drops her ears a bit as Yats now appears over the two girls, holding his sword with its tip downwards over the jewel before all three blades now charge it further with aura.

By instinct, I pull Pyrrha down behind me into a kneeling position, doing the same with my shield extended and held out in front of us just as the minigun fires the crystal and all four second-year students shout in unison.

"_GANDR SHOT!_"

* * *

_Ruby_

GREAT MONTY IN HEAVEN ABOVE, _IT'S A GIANT BEAM WEAPON ATTACK!_ A GIANT, BEAUTIFUL ORANGE BEAM OF DESTRUCTION!

I... I-I think I just...

_Blake_

"Um... Did Ruby just swoon?"

* * *

_Pyrrha_

I honestly don't know what's more difficult to believe... that four Hunters in training just executed a flawless combined aural attack...

Or that Jaune's shield held up to the beam blast _head on_.

He and I slowly stand as the heat waves rise from the scorched ground beneath us, our four opponents each visibly gaping at Jaune's white-hot shield as my partner himself stares down at it in surprise before it starts to slowly begin glowing pale _yellow._

But then I see it... the shield isn't just glowing from the attack... it's... it's...

"_Ehehehehe_..." Jaune chuckles darkly as he collapses his shield and flips it around into his hand as a glowing yellow saber of light, checking the hilt of his sword before suddenly feeding his aura _into_ it.

And that's when I realize... the handle and lining of the shield... and the inner hilt of his sword... they're lined with _Dust!_

The entire blade of Crocea Mors glowing the same pale yellow as a result of his action, he turns his head slightly to me as Coco reloads, "C'mon, Pyr. Let's finish this."

_RATATATATATATATATAT..._

I know I've seen a lot of things as a four-year Mistrali champion... and I've beaten quite a few aural prodigies at that... but _this?_

_voomVoomvoomVoomvoomVoomvoomVoom_...

I can only gape as I follow Jaune who charges the hail of gunfire without so much as using the Force. Instead, he _deflects every single bullet_ with impossibly fast twirls from his energy-sabers from side to side as the audience now begins cheering him on in an incredulous hysteria, quickly reaching the offending minigun and slashing it to bits as if it were a stick of butter! With no time to apologize as he moves on to shred apart Fox's weapons, I butt their fashionable leader with a semblance-augmented smack from Akoúo before twirling Miló above and over my shoulders to floor the barely armed Fox with a head-strike.

Having already separated Velvet from her jewel box, it only takes a discus throw of Akoúo to catch her in the ribs before Jaune and I stop in front of the standing Yatsuhashi. The three of us glance up at the long banners over our heads, the other three members of team CFVY already showing their auras in the red and disqualified with Yatsuhashi's a mere sliver away from disqualification as well before Jaune speaks up.

"Well Yats, for what it's worth... it really was a good fight."

"Yes, White Knight," the large samurai replies enigmatically as he glances down at Jaune's humming twin blades of light, blades that now slowly turn into a surprisingly intimidating shade of red, "You disarmed my team in less than ten seconds... you are truly a _force_ to be reckoned with..."

Jaune and I raise a brow at him as he concludes, "Of course, you and your partner both. But now I can say with full certainty, that you and I _will_ meet again, White Knight."

With a short chuckle, Jaune replies, "Oh? I'm sure we will... Pyrrha?"

Immediately understanding my leader, I point Miló at the final opponent and fire a round into his abdomen, his only reaction being a slight wince as his banner above us flashes red to end the match.

* * *

_Ozpin_

Hmm, I certainly would've expected no less from the young Arc.

And of course, from Crocea Mors.

So, he finally figured out the generations-old secret imbued into the blade by his great-great grandfather... the true form of the Crocea Mors: _The Yellow Death. _It seems fitting, as the first Force-wielding Arc since the war hero himself. However, I'll admit that the unexpected change from yellow to red was somewhat surprising... but I shan't expect to accurately ascertain the nature of the weapon forged by the Master who once taught _me_.

All those decades ago...

Bah, this is not the time to ruminate over such matters. All I can hope for is that he uses his gifts for the greater good when the time comes. In the words that my Master once told me, Jaune Arc - I can only protect you... not fight a war for you. And unfortunately, every day that passes, I can only sense that war is becoming more and more a possibility.

Well, the match aside, at least Glynda's following announcement after a few more matches that first-year mission assignments would be placed around the amphitheater to be selected at the end of the period went well. After a brief speech, all I needed to do was change the parameters on the Search and Destroy assignment on Quadrant 5 so Ruby and her team could select it.

It wouldn't take a Force-user to sense that those girls have figured out quite a bit on their own, nor to see that they have shown themselves capable of discovering the culprit of these strange happenings around Vale in a way that I nor my associates can no longer lest the Order's existence be revealed.

Hm, even now I can sense the bright future that awaits that team... but laced with so much danger and pain for reasons I cannot fathom. Neither I nor the Order's remaining council members can see the future clearly anymore, so clouded by the Dark Side it's become. Especially of the future surrounding the young Arc...

_Sigh_.

May the Force be with you, Jaune Arc. May the Force be with you all.

* * *

**A/N: So. It's been a month since my last post for _Jaune Arc: TFU_...**

**Oopsie :/**

**Well i'm not going to say that it's because I've lost the will to write or anything like that, more like a combination of work, family and friends with something I'd like to call _The Gamer Girl_ ;)**

**But hey, at least I got in a good fight, and got to include what I hope Velvet's weapon includes as a kickboxing Mage... which I'm sure several of you can guess which kickboxing Mage I drew my inspiration from heh :) **

**As for Ozpin... eesh. First time trying to get in his head for a POV, and trust me, it's easier said than done. But there's a first time for everything, and I sure hope to get better with a serious Oz POV with time (cuz all I seem to read in FFNet's RWBY section are Ozpin parodies - even thought they're hilarious, but still :/) So if you have an idea about good ways to get in Ozzie's head, then by all means feel free to shoot me a PM!**

**For now, I'm more than happy with where I've begun with him, being the only link into an underground cooperative and all... ;) Anyway, all that's left to do is apologize for the next two to three chapters I'm going to post. There will be feels. To an extent that I doubt many will realize until it's too late- I mean, er, until next time! ^.^**

**Happy Reading!**


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